In the Court of the Crimson King
by purple mangosteen
Summary: Soon after Akashi Seijuurou ascends the throne of Teikou Empire, he marries Kuroko Tetsuya, his childhood sweetheart and makes him an empress. But life in the imperial palace is never calm especially with the arrival of new concubines and some of them will do anything to gain Emperor's favour. Genderbent for some characters. Slash. Akashi Seijuurou/Kuroko Tetsuya. Akakuro.
1. Part I: Chapter 1

**Please read the author's note for the explanation about the system, place, etc.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basket and Empresses in the Palace/Legend of Zhen Huan. I don't make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains spoiler for both Kuroko no Basket and Empresses in the Palace/Legend of Zhen Huan and other drama. Also there are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. **This chapter is** **edited by Aokazu Sei** **.** **Thank you so much for your help.**

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter I: 几家欢喜几家愁 (Some are happy, some have worries)

At the end of the third year of Emperor Seijuurou's reign, the imperial concubine election was held. The chosen ladies from around the country had gathered in the capital, ready to appear before the emperor in the Crimson Forbidden City.

One of the ladies was Furihata Kouka, the daughter of Furihata Kenji, a government official in Akashi dynasty. This year, Kouka reached the age of sixteen, allowing her to be in the selection process.

And as she passed by the towering buildings and vibrant decor, Kouka looked around in wonder and awe.

The Crimson Forbidden City was truly magnificent and simply enormous. The gigantic outer area was encircled by broad crimson-red walls, the under roof tiles glazed with royal yellow. The Crimson Forbidden City was designed to be the Centre of the walled city of Rakuzan, the capital of Teikou Empire. It was a rectangle, 961 metres from north to south and spanning 753 metres from east to west, consisted of 999 buildings with 9,999 bays of rooms including antechambers; it was truly a befitting place for the Imperial family.

Kouka wasn't the only girl in the palace courtyard now. She was one of hundreds of ladies chosen from all over the country. With the youngest as fifteen and the oldest as eighteen, they were all very beautiful ladies from noble or high ranking families.

She watched the other girls, who were all dolled up to the nines and dressed in their best kimono. Everyone tried their best to be elected as a concubine for the Emperor. It was considered a high honor, and to become the Emperor's favorite, power and wealth would certainly be bestowed upon her and her family. It would bring unimaginable prosperity and fortune if the concubine gave birth to a baby boy, the next heir to the throne. Children were the most important thing in the palace. After all, everyone knew that the Empress would never birth a child for Emperor Seijuurou.

"Attention!" One official said in a loud voice. "Please follow me." And he walked away.

"Come."

"We must hurry."

Some of the girls seemed to know each other. Kouka inwardly sighed. She did not have friends in the capital. With her father as a middle rank government official, she shouldn't have been considered at all.

They continued to walk through the winding hallway. The palace was like a maze, and Kouka was certain she would get lost if she were alone.

"We have arrived."

They were taken to a vast park where they were to wait their turn to appear in front of the emperor.

In addition to official before, there were several others that joined. One of them was holding thick book, which he opened and called in a loud voice.

"Anyone whose name I call, please step forward." He then called several names, then paused. "Please go to the main hall."

Kouka felt very tense. She actually did not wish to be elected as a concubine of the emperor. Although lathered in riches, concubines were not permitted outside of the palace without permission, which extremely contrasted her preference to stay close to her parents. It was obvious that her thoughts remained a secret, even to her own parents because only an insane person would call such an honor a golden cage.

To ease her anxiety, she chose to look at the other girls. Some of them looked just as tense, but there were also girls who looked very confident; it seemed that they had important relatives in the government.

BRUK!

She accidentally bumped into someone.

"I apologize for my clumsiness," she said hurriedly. "I didn't notice your presence."

"It's alright," the girl she crashed into said with flat voice. "People usually don't."

Kouka blinked.

The girl in front of her was very beautiful with big blue eyes and hair. The blue silk kimono with floral patterns also added to her beauty. Only her face was devoid of emotion.

"I'm Furihata Kouka," she introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you."

"Mayuzumi Chihiro," the girl replied flatly.

Kouka was confused for a while. It seemed that Chihiro wasn't at all interested to talk with her, but Kouka really wanted someone to converse now. It was very lonely having no acquaintance in this place.

"Chihiro, where have you been?" someone suddenly appeared.

Mayuzumi ignored the newcomer.

"Hello," Kouka greeted awkwardly.

"Hello," the girl smiled. "I'm Sakurai Ryuna. It's nice to meet you."

She had brown eyes and hair, which was decorated by a jade pin. Her expensive green kimono served as a compliment to her beauty.

"I'm Furihata Kouka," she replied. "It's nice to meet you too." She looked at Ryuna and then turned to Chihiro. "Are you friends?"

"Our family knew each other," Ryuna replied.

"Oh." Kouka nodded in understanding.

"My eldest brother is Major General Sakurai Ryou," Ryuna explained. "He's a subordinate of General Aomine Daiki, Commander in Chief of Imperial Teikou Army."

So, Ryuna came from a very important family. General Aomine Daiki, although still young, was well known for his exceptional martial arts skills. He was never defeated in battle.

"And Chihiro is the daughter of Mayuzumi Ishida, Senior Vice Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture," Ryuna continued.

Chihiro came from important family too. Compared to them, Kouka's father had the lowest position in government.

"My father is Furihata Kenji. He is an official in Kunmo, the capital of Seirin province," Kouka said. "I came from there."

Ryuna's eyes widened. "Kunmo? Seirin's province? It's Empress Tetsuya's hometown, right?"

Kouka nodded. Seirin province was famous for its fertile land with favourable climate and abundant water resources. All kinds of vegetables, fruits, and herbs grew in abundance, making most of the residents farmers. In addition, the province Seirin also provides talented physician, one of which was the late Kuroko Takumi, the grandfather of the Empress.

"I'm the only one that comes from the Province Seirin here." Kouka admitted. "So, I do not know anyone here."

"You know us." Ryuna said. "We can be friends." The girl looked very excited at the idea.

"Really?" Kouka asked.

"Yes," Ryuna replied. "Right, Chihiro?"

Chihiro stared at them blankly.

"Chihiro!"

"We can be friends," Chihiro said. Her face was as blank as ever.

"Thank you," she said. Kouka was very relieved. At least she now had a friend.

"Attention!" The official said loudly. "Anyone whose name I call, please step forward."

This time, Chihiro was called.

"Good luck," Ryuna said, smiling at her friend.

Kouka was silent. How could she bring herself to cheer for Chihiro when she was terrified of being elected? Unfortunately, the girls who had been called had not returned, so Kouka had no idea how the meeting would be with Emperor Seijuurou.

"You look tense," commented Ryuna

Kouka gave her a weak smile.

"Calm down, you look graceful," Ryuna said. "You'll be chosen."

Kouka blinked. She didn't think she looked elegant.

Ryuna leaned closer and whispered in a small voice. "My brother heard from General Aomine that His Imperial Majesty likes elegant woman the most."

The new piece of information did not help her at all. She was afraid of the Emperor; all she wanted was to stay with her family.

"You seem to know a lot." Kouka commented.

"If you live in the capital like me, especially when there's access to the palace, you will hear a lot of rumours." Ryuna replied.

That was true.

"Look," Ryuna said suddenly, "That is Hanamiya Misaki, the daughter of Hanamiya Makoto, Minister of Works. She's a strong candidate to be selected."

"And that is Haizaki Shiina, the daughter of Haizaki Shougo, Minister of Defense," Ryuna resumed. "Just like Misaki, she is also a strong candidate."

They were both daughters of top officials in the government; it would be very likely for them to be elected.

"Attention!" The official said loudly. "Anyone whom name I call, please step forward. Hanamiya Misaki, Furihata Kouka..."

Kouka didn't hear who was called the next. She thought that she was going to faint on the spot.

"Please follow me," said a eunuch in a black uniform.

Kouka and seven other girls went with the eunuch, soon arriving in front of a large hall where they stopped to line up neatly.

Emperor Seijuurou was seated on a throne in the middle of the hall.

They were forbidden to look at the emperor, but Kouka stole furtive glances. Emperor Seijuurou was indeed very handsome, with red hair and a pair of eyes of red and gold. He possessed a tremendous aura, making everyone bow down before him.

"Introducing Hanamiya Misaki, daughter of Hanamiya Makoto," the official next to the Emperor called.

Hanamiya Misaki stepped forward and curtsied. For this occasion, the ladies didn't need to kneel and bow on the floor.

"Give her charm," Emperor Seijuurou ordered. His voice was silky smooth and rang with authority.

"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty." Misaki said with a smile on her face.

Then, it was her turn.

"Introducing Furihata Kouka, daughter of Furihata Kenji."

Kouka tried to walk, but her legs were shaking. She forced herself to go forward, but instead, she tripped and fell down. It was embarrassing. The other girls looked at her scornfully.

She quickly kneeled on the floor. "I am sorry, Your Imperial Majesty," she said with a trembling voice. Please don't punish her or her family.

For a moment there was no response until finally ...

"Give her charm."

Kouka could not believe her ears. Charm? She was given charm? But the charm meant that she was chosen as a concubine. How could this happen? She fell down in front of the Emperor. Not only her, even the other girls and the eunuchs of the palace were surprised.

"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty," she managed to say.

Everything that happened after that was a blur. Perhaps she was too stunned and shocked; she only knew that she was inside the carriage that would take her home.

Girls who had been elected as a concubine were given the opportunity to return to their homes for two weeks to say goodbye to families and friends. For the majority of these girls, this was the last chance to see their parents before settling in the Crimson Forbidden City until the end of their lives.

After two days of travelling, she finally returned home. Her family was already waiting for her, lighting firecrackers to mark her arrival.

"Father! Mother!" she ran to hug them. She cried upon seeing their familiar faces.

"Kouka!" Her mother also cried upon seeing her.

They shared a long embrace until Furihata Kenji suggested, "Let's go inside."

Kouka was led to the dining room. The table was filled with her favourite foods.

"This is..." she trailed off.

"You must be hungry," her mother said tearfully, "I've cooked your favourites. Eat now."

"Let's eat, Sister," her little brother said. "I've been waiting for you, and I'm really hungry now." The little boy rubbed his stomach.

Kouka laughed. "Come then. I won't let you starve."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

In the Crimson Forbidden City:

Higuchi Shota was seated in the main hall of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Empress Tetsuya's residence. Shota was the head of Imperial Household Department, an institution of the Akashi dynasty of Teikou Empire where its primary purpose was to manage internal affairs of the Imperial family and activities of the inner palace.

He visited the Empress to report about the arrival of the new concubines to the palace. It was royal protocol for the concubines to be chosen by the Emperor and Empress Dowager, but since the mother of Emperor Seijuurou, Empress Shiori, had died, only the Emperor chose this time. The concubine's rank would be discussed between the Empress and Emperor, while the residence was determined by the Empress.

Although it was highly expected that protocol be followed, the Emperor's orders were above all else. The Emperor ruled as an absolute monarch, words were considered sacred edicts, and written proclamations "directives from above."

The Emperor lived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity while the Empress lives at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. In addition, there were six eastern palaces and six western palaces. However, only a concubine with Consort rank can be placed within a palace and become the head of the said palace. Concubines with rank under Consort only acquire small pavilions for them to live.

"The Empress is coming!"

Empress Tetsuya walked into the hall before being seated on his throne. He was accompanied by Aida Riko, his personal maid.

"Your Highness," Shouta bowed in respect. "I came to give this."

Riko took the palace official record and gave it to the Empress.

"There are eight chosen ladies in this election, Your Highness." He informed the empress.

Empress Tetsuya took the book and opened it.

He was blessed with white porcelain skin and a pair of delicate hands. Even though he was a male, Empress Tetsuya had a lovely face that some would simply describe as feminine. His blank face gave an impression of a living doll.

"His Imperial Majesty wants Your Highness to decide the ranks of the concubines," Shota said. "The chosen ladies are Hanamiya Misaki, Haizaki Shiina, Sakurai Ryuna, Mayuzumi Chihiro, Moriyama Tomomi, Fukuda Hiroko, Kawahara Sayuri, and Furihata Kouka according to the level of their family position in the government."

"Bestow the rank of Noble Ladies for Hanamiya Misaki and Haizaki Shiina," Empress Tetsuya said.

Shota already predicted this. Hanamiya Misaki and Haizaki Shiina were daughters of a minister, and it only suited them to be ranked as Noble Ladies, the highest rank that could be given to the new concubine who just entered the imperial harem. If a concubine wanted to rise to a higher level, she must give birth to a child or became a favourite concubine of the emperor.

"Give First Class Female Attendant rank for Sakurai Ryuna and Mayuzumi Chihiro," Empress Tetsuya paused a bit. "And Second Class Female Attendant rank for Moriyama Tomomi, Fukuda Hiroko, Kawahara Sayuri, and Furihata Kouka."

"Yes, Your Highness." Now he had to wait for the distribution of the residence of the concubines.

"Hanamiya Misaki will stay in the pavilion in the Palace of Great Benevolence complex, Haizaki Shiina will stay in the pavilion in the Palace of Celestial Favour complex, Sakurai Ryuna will stay in the pavilion in the Palace of Eternal Harmony complex." Empress Tetsuya ordered. "Mayuzumi Chihiro will stay in the pavilion in the Palace of Great Brilliance complex, Moriyama Tomomi and Fukuda Hiroko will stay in the pavilion in the Palace of Purity complex. Meanwhile, Kawahara Sayuri and Furihata Kouka will stay in the pavilion in the Palace of Lasting Happiness complex."

Each of those palaces had a few buildings and pavilions for individual living quarters, so many concubines can live in one palace.

"Yes, Your Highness." His business there was finished now.

"And one more thing," Empress Tetsuya said suddenly.

"Your Highness?" Shota asked.

"Do not forget that the concubines only need to come once a week for a morning meeting. Every Monday will do." Empress Tetsuya ordered without expression on his face.

Shota bowed. "I understood, Your Highness."

It was another custom that the concubines came to Palace of Earthly Tranquility every morning to pay their respect to the Empress. However, during Empress Tetsuya's reign, the morning meeting was conducted once a week.

Shota bowed again. "I will take my leave, Your Highness."

He wondered what would happen in the future. While this was the first concubine election, Emperor Seijuurou actually had a consort before. The lady, ironically, was his first wife. The late Emperor Masaomi ordered the marriage from his sick bed, so Crown Prince Seijuurou was forced to marry the chosen lady when he came of age. But once he ascended the throne, Emperor Seijuurou went after his first love, married him, and made him the Empress of Teikou Empire. The neglected first wife eventually resorted to occult as a last-ditch attempt to salvage the situation. She was imprisoned in the Cold Palace as punishment, and now, no one dared speak about her.

From the beginning of the marriage, Emperor Seijuurou's attention was monopolized by the Empress. But now, the concubines would enter the palace. Those women were beautiful, elegant, and vicious. They would do anything to gain the Emperor's favour. Backstabbing and malice were an endemic among them in the history of Teikou Empire. Shota could only wait and see what kind of change they would bring in the palace.

Well, he could think about that later. He must go to Hall of Mental Cultivation to give his report to Emperor Seijuurou.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

One week later:

~At Furihata Residence~

"Welcome in our humble abode," Furihata Kenji said.

The official messenger from the palace had come to inform their family about Kouka's placement in the harem. With him also came the etiquette teacher, Aunt Fuu.

"Edict from His Imperial Majesty." the messenger said.

Kenji, his wife, his daughter, his son, and the servants in the living room kneeled on the floor.

"Furihata Kouka is bestowed with the rank of Second Class Female Attendant," the messenger read the paper.

"Thank you for the His Imperial Majesty's kindness." They replied in unison and bowed their head.

"Aunt Fuu will stay to educate Second Class Female Attendant Kouka about the rules in the palace," the messenger continued. "We'll leave by this night."

Kouka looked at Aunt Fuu shyly. She was a middle-aged woman with friendly face. Aunt Fuu smiled gently when she saw Kouka looking at her. Kouka calmed down a bit.

"Please come this way," Furihata Ayumi said.

Ayumi led Aunt Fuu to the living room with Kouka following behind them. According to the rule, the lesson was only attended by the concubine and the maid who was going to live with her master in the palace. But since Kouka didn't have a maid, it was only herself and Aunt Fuu.

"Please have a seat, Aunt Fuu." Ayumi said.

Aunt Fuu sat on the chair, and Kouka sat across from her.

"I'll leave both of you," her mother said and then she left, giving her assuring smile on her way out.

"Don't look so nervous," Aunt Fuu began.

Kouka smiled shyly. "I'm sorry, Aunt Fuu."

"I understand that you're worried for your new life, but that's why I'm here," Aunt Fuu continued, "I'll teach you about the rules in the palace and the hierarchy there."

Kouka gave her an undivided attention now.

"You've been given title Second Class Female Attendant, right?" Aunt Fuu asked.

"Yes," Kouka replied.

"There are nine levels in the imperial harem," Aunt Fuu began. "The highest one is the Empress, who is the principal wife of the Emperor. There is only one Empress in the harem, and they have more power than any other concubines. Below the Empress, are eight other rankings: the Imperial Noble Consort, Noble Consorts, Consorts, Imperial Concubines, Noble Ladies, First Class Female Attendants, Second Class Female Attendants, and Female Attendants.

As you climb the ranks, there'd be less and less ladies who'd share your title. For example, there are only one Imperial Noble Consort, two Noble Consorts, four Consorts, and six Imperial Concubines. Positions such as the Noble Ladies, First Class Female Attendants, Second Class Female Attendants, and Female Attendants are limitless in the imperial harem."

"Then, my rank is the second lowest," Kouka whispered.

"Do not worry," Aunt Kouka tried to assure her. "You're beautiful and young. When you gain the Emperor's favour, you will be promoted. But remember, no one is allowed to skip rank, everyone has to climb up the hierarchy step by step."

Kouka doubted about that. She was a shy person. How could she attract Emperor Seijuurou's attention was beyond her.

"The harem, like the whole of the Crimson Forbidden City, is governed by rigid rules. Exactly what objects the girls could have in their rooms, the quantity, and quality of the textiles for their clothes, and the types of food for each day's consumption are meticulously determined in accordance with their rank."

Kouka didn't know that the palace was truly a strict place, which became another reason to become reluctant. If only there was a way for her to be rejected by the Emperor, so she could be betrothed and live peacefully.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

~At Mayuzumi Residence~

"Chihaya, do not eavesdrop on your sister," Mayuzumi Ishida told his daughter.

In the living room, Mayuzumi Chihiro and Aunt Yuu were having their conversation. Like every other lady who was chosen, the palace had sent an etiquette teacher for Chihiro as well.

"But Father, they're talking about His Imperial Majesty now," a ten years old Chihaya replied. She looked very excited about the topic.

Ishida sighed. Chihaya was a cheerful child, so different from her sister who bore almost no expressions.

"Sister is so lucky to be chosen as concubine," Chihaya continued. "I want to become a concubine too, but I'm too young. People say that His Imperial Majesty is very handsome."

Ishida could only stare at her youngest daughter in a daze. His daughter's thinking was quite surprising. But Chihaya was still a little child, far too naive of the extreme competition that often ended in death. Ishida did not expect Chihiro to achieve such a high position, but it was not a pleasant surprise. With her higher rank, there would be more enemies. He only hoped that Chihiro could quietly live in the palace.

"Chihaya..."

"Shhh...they're talking about Empress Tetsuya now," Chihaya said.

Vaguely, they both could hear the sound of Aunt Yuu.

"Empress Tetsuya is the only grandchild of the late Kuroko Takumi, the Great Physician. He's considered the greatest physician in the history of the Teikou Empire. Many of the medicines we use now are his creation. He also did a great service to the imperial family in the past." Aunt Yuu explained.

A great service was an understatement.

Kuroko Takumi had saved Emperor Masaomi's life from a rare disease. Without Takumi's help, Akashi Seijuurou would have never been born, and the Akashi dynasty would have ended. When Kuroko Tetsuya was left alone with no other relatives, Kuroko Takumi went to the palace and begged for his grandchild's protection, which Emperor Masaomi granted.

No one expected Crown Prince Seijuurou, once he ascended the throne, to marry Kuroko Tetsuya and make him his Empress despite already being wed to a noble woman. Male consorts existed in the past, but this was the first time they had a male Empress. But the Emperor's words were absolute, and no one could defy him.

"Empress Tetsuya must be really pretty..." Chihaya mused.

That was the thing that worried Ishida the most. He had seen Empress Tetsuya, and there was no doubt they could be mistaken for each other. And Ishida knew that Emperor Seijuurou easily noticed it too.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

~Hanamiya Residence~

Hanamiya Misaki resisted the urge to yawn. The old woman in front of her was boring her to death. Could she stop already with her prattling? Misaki had done her research. She didn't need this old hag to inform her about the things she already knew.

"In some cases, when the Empress does not bear any children, the Emperor will have a child with his many wives," Aunt Seo explained.

Empress Tetsuya was a male. He can't have a child, even an idiot knew that. The intelligence of these people really astounded Misaki.

"However, all children of His Imperial Majesty are also to be the children of the Empress, regardless of birth mother. They are expected to treat the Empress as their own mother," Aunt Seo explained. "No matter who ascends the throne, the current Empress will become Empress Dowager."

Misaki didn't pay attention to her anymore. A plan already forming inside her head. She would gain Emperor's favour, and she would give birth to the heir of the throne. Anyone who stood on her way would be destroyed. As for Empress Tetsuya…

Two tigers cannot share one mountain.

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone!

My first ever AU inspired historical fanfic. I think I watch too many palace dramas. My favourite ever: Legend of Zhen Huan. The main pairing here is Akashi Seijuurou/Kuroko Tetsuya. Anyone else with Akashi is one-sided. The concubine can die anytime for the plot.

The situation, culture, government, military and fashion in this fic is a mix between ancient China, Japan and my own creation.

The eight levels in imperial harem come from Qing dynasty.

Empress (Chinese: 皇后; pinyin: _Huánghòu_ ), only one in the imperial harem.

Imperial Noble Consort (simplified Chinese: 皇贵妃; traditional Chinese: 皇貴妃; pinyin: _Huáng Guìfēi_ ), only one in the imperial harem.

Noble Consorts (simplified Chinese: 贵妃; traditional Chinese: 貴妃; pinyin: _Guìfēi_ ), only two in the imperial harem. Consorts (Chinese: 妃; pinyin: _Fēi_ ), only four in the imperial harem.

Imperial Concubines (simplified Chinese: 嫔; traditional Chinese: 嬪; pinyin: _Pín_ ), only six in the imperial harem.

Noble Ladies (simplified Chinese: 贵人; traditional Chinese: 貴人; pinyin: _Guìrén_ ), unlimited number in the imperial harem.

First Class Female Attendant (Chinese: 常在; pinyin: _Chángzài_ ), unlimited number in the imperial harem.

Lady or Second Class Female Attendant (simplified Chinese: 答应; traditional Chinese: 答應; pinyin: _Dāyìng_ ), unlimited number in the imperial harem.

Female Attendant(官女子), unlimited number in the imperial harem, typically granted to female eunuchs who were chosen to be minor concubines.

Crimson Forbidden City is inspired by Forbidden City. The common English name, "the Forbidden City", is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng (Chinese: 紫禁城; pinyin: Zǐjinchéng; literally: "Purple Forbidden City").

Two tigers can not share one mountain (Yi Shan Bu Neng Chang Er Hu 一山不能藏二虎) literally means that in an area, there cannot be two very strong personality people leading. Just like in a mountain, there will only be one king, one leader. If there are two kings, they will fight it out.

Thank you for reading and please review.


	2. Part I: Chapter 2

**Please read the author's note for the explanation about the system, place, etc. Happy reading and happy learning about history.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basket and Empresses in the Palace/Legend of Zhen Huan. I don't make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains spoiler for both Kuroko no Basket and Empresses in the Palace/Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. Also, there are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. **This chapter is edited by Aokazu Sei. Thank you so much for her help.**

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter II: 难得糊涂 (Where ignorance is bliss, it's folly to be wise)

The day for Furihata Kouka to leave her home had arrived. She wanted to cry, but she held back her tears. Being chosen as Imperial Concubine was a great honour; she was expected to smile.

"Father, mother, little brother ..." she looked at her family.

Her father smiled while her mother was in tears. Her little brother still acted as usual, still too young to understand the situation.

"Kouka, before you forget, please take this," her mother held out a wooden box.

Kouka looked at this wooden box with surprise. "Mother, this is grandfather's go board."

"Yes," Ayumi said. "You love to play go, don't you? Bring this with you."

Kouka understood. Once she was inside the palace, she would never see her parents and her brother anymore. If she didn't take the go board with her, she would never have the opportunity again in the future. She hugged the wooden box tightly. "Thank you, Mother," she rasped out.

Ayumi nodded, unable to say any more.

Kouka turned to her brother. "Please take care of Father and Mother in my stead."

The child nodded vigorously. "I will do my best, Sister."

"Thank you," she said and ruffled his hair fondly for the last time.

"We must leave now," Aunt Fuu reminded her.

Kouka nodded.

"Second Class Female Attendant Kouka is ready to leave," the male attendant shouted.

Her whole family and the servants knelt down to pay respect to her as she now was an Imperial Concubine. With her appointment, she was now a noblewoman while her own family members were not, and thus they had to pay their respects as her subjects.

"You may rise," she said.

Her family got up from their kneeling position.

"Come," said Aunt Fuu.

Kouka entered the carriage that would take her to the Crimson Forbidden City. Aunt Fuu climbed to another carriage.

"Go!"

The carriage started to move. Kouka couldn't resist anymore. She poked her head out of the drapes to see her family until finally they weren't visible anymore.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They arrived at Crimson Forbidden City two days later.

"We have arrived," Aunt Fuu said.

The carriage passed through the Gate of Divine Pride, the north entrance of the Crimson Forbidden City. Because she was a concubine, she was brought to the side door; it was another law that represented the rank of the Imperial family.

Throughout the history of the Crimson Forbidden City, the carriage carrying the Empress-to-be always entered through the central opening of the Meridian Gate, the most imposing of the entrances and the main gate.

Among five openings, the central one was reserved for the Emperor alone, with only two exceptions: the Empress was entitled to go through it once-on their wedding day-and the first three successful candidates in the imperial examination may enter the gate once when they were to be received by the emperor. This once in a lifetime opportunity was, of course, a great honour to the Empress and her family.

Kouka looked around her. There were several other horse-drawn carriages there. However, Kouka didn't see the other concubines. Perhaps they already went in first.

"The eunuch will bring you to your residence," Aunt Fuu said.

"Thank you for your teaching, Aunt Fuu," Kouka said.

Aunt Fuu smiled softly at her. She silently prayed that the girl would survive harem politics.

Kouka nodded at her and then turned away to see several men, dressed in different uniforms, who quickly welcomed her.

"I am Second Class Female Attendant, Furihata Kouka," she said.

"Welcome to Crimson Forbidden City," the officials said in unison.

One of the officials, most likely the senior, said. "Eunuch Aota will be your guide."

A young eunuch stepped forward and bowed. "Please follow me, Mistress."

Aota's path took her through twists. Though he explained the history and architecture of the palace along the way.

"Traditionally, the Crimson Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The Outer Court or Front Court includes the southern sections and is used for ceremonial purposes. The Inner Court or Back Palace includes the northern sections, and is used to serve for day-to-day affairs as well as the residence of the Emperor and his family. The Inner Court is separated from the Outer Court by an oblong courtyard lying parallel to the City's main axis.

There are the central axis, west wing, and east wing. At the centre of the Inner Court is another set of three halls. From the south, these are the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Smaller than the Outer Court halls, the three halls of the Inner Court are the official residences of the Emperor and the Empress.

The Emperor, representing Yang and the Heavens, would occupy the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Empress, representing Yin and the Earth, would occupy the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. In between them was the Hall of Union, where the Yin and Yang mixed to produce harmony."

"Where do I live then?" Kouka asked.

"The Empress has bestowed the Pavilion of Joy in the Palace of Lasting Happiness complex to you, Mistress. The Palace of Lasting Happiness is one of the six eastern palaces." Aota answered. "Aside from you, the Empress also bestowed Pavilion of Bliss to Second Female Attendant, Kawahara Sayuri."

That meant she would stay in the same complex with another concubine. She hoped they would get along.

"We have arrived," Aota told her.

Kouka stared at the palace in front of her with amazement. There were two pavilions that flanked the large yard, one of the right and one of the left. It was incredibly spacious, and the equally large yard was overgrown with huge trees and colourful flowers.

"Mistress Kouka," someone said.

Kouka blinked. Who was the girl in front of her?

"I'm Mao, your personal maid," the girl curtsied.

Kouka almost forgot. Imperial Palace provided maids and eunuchs for the concubines. The number of the servants corresponded by the rank of the said concubine.

The Empress could have ten palace maids, Noble Ladies could have at most four palace maids, First Class Female Attendant could have at most three palace maids, and Second Class Female Attendant could have two palace maids. Servant's salary was paid by the concubine herself since all concubines received a monthly allowance of varying amounts, which once again depended of their ranks.

"I shall take my leave then, Mistress," Aota said.

"Thank you," replied Kouka.

Aota bowed and then left.

Kouka looked at the pavilion in front of her. Was this her residence as long as she lived in the palace?

"Come in, Mistress," said Mao.

Kouka nodded.

They walked into the pavilion. Inside, there were a living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, and at the back of the pavilion, rooms for the maid to live. In addition to Mao, there was another maid named Eri who was tasked to cook and clean.

"All of Mistress' belongings have been brought here," Mao explained.

Kouka entered her bedroom. It much larger than her bedroom at home, easily fitting a bed, two closets, a long shelf, a small table, four chairs, and a dressing table with a mirror.

"Greetings to Second Class Female Attendant, Furihata Kouka," someone shouted from outside.

Kouka was confused. She had just arrived in the palace, so who came to visit?

Mao however recognized the voice. "Mistress, Eunuch Yuta has come to see you."

"Eunuch Yuta?"

"He is the messenger of the Empress." Mao explained.

Kouka blinked. It was fortunate that she had Mao, who could give her information about the palace.

"We must not make him wait, Mistress."

Kouka nodded. She walked out of her bedroom and sat in the main chair at the far end of the living room.

Mao followed her before walking toward the door. "Eunuch Yuta, please come in."

Eunuch Yuta entered the living room. He was still young but looked very capable. Kouka noticed that his dark blue uniform was adorned with silver embroidery, which she never saw on other eunuch's uniform. Behind him there were four maids, each carrying a tray with gifts.

"Greetings to Second Class Female Attendant Kouka," Yuta said. "I come bearing gifts from the Empress."

So, he was a subordinate of Empress Tetsuya. The maids then put the gifts they brought on the table.

"Thank you, Eunuch Yuta." Kouka said. "Please express my gratitude towards the Empress as well."

"I will deliver the message to the Empress," Yuta said. "You are expected to pay your respect towards the Empress on Monday."

"I understood." Kouka replied.

"I shall take my leave then, Mistress." Eunuch Yuta said. He then bowed and left.

Kouka wait until Yuta and the other maids left before she started to open the gifts. In the first tray, there were twelve pieces of colourful silk fabrics with various floral patterns.

"These fabrics are really beautiful," Kouka commented.

In the second tray, there was a box of silver and bronze coins, but in the other box, it contained a small pile of gold coin. This was the first time Kouka saw so much money directly. Common currency consisted of bronze and silver coins; gold coins and banknotes were usually reserved for wealthy merchants or noblemen.

The last tray held jewellry, such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and hair ornaments made of gold, silver, and jade.

Assisted by Mao, she stored the gifts in her room, and once she finished, Kouka gave some gold coins to Mao and Eri. They tried to resist, but Kouka was persistent, continuing so that they eventually gave up.

"Thank you, Mistress." Mao said.

"Thank you, Mistress." Eri said.

The effects of her two-day trip from Seirin to Rakuzan had kicked in, and she became very tired.

"Both of you may leave," she said. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Yes, Mistress," Mao and Eri curtsied and left the room.

Kouka threw herself on the bed. At last, she was here in the imperial palace, as one of the concubines. Although she knew with her father position as an official in Teikou Empire made her a candidate as an imperial concubine, she never thought that she'd be chosen.

She had always thought that once she entered the election, she would be rejected and then married to a good man. Then they'd have children and live in harmony until they grew old-just like her parents. But now, she would never even have a wedding ceremony, one that only happened between the husband and his principal wife.

Being from the same province and town as Empress Tetsuya, Kouka had the fortune to witness the magnificent wedding of Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya.

A total of three thousand people escorted the Emperor and the Empress to the imperial palace, while tens of thousands Seirin citizens gathered in the streets to view the spectacular occasion.

The wedding ceremony for Teikou Emperors was always known as a grand ceremony, but not one that every Emperor had the chance to experience. If the Emperor married his principal wife before ascending the throne, only a Coronation ceremony would be held to bestow the title of Empress on his bride.

Emperor Seijuurou married Empress Tetsuya shortly after he ascended the throne. Rules dictated that only a matchmaker who would accompany the bride to enter the palace. However, Emperor Seijuurou, himself, went to fetch his future wife. It was an honour that never happened in the history of Teikou Empire.

Led by a horse troupe, two military bands performed wedding music. One hundred dragon-phoenix umbrellas and flags, eighty eight pairs of imperial lanterns, and various kinds of weapons held by the guards composed the imperial carriages.

The carriage appeared last. The three-layered top, decorated with red and blue phoenixes, had golden curtains spotted with colourful clouds, bats, and flowers-all symbols of good fortune, happiness, and longevity.

"Mistress." Mao called from outside the bedroom.

Kouka was interrupted from her musings.

"We have guests." She told her.

"I'm coming," she walked out of her room. Who was looking for her now?

The guests turned out to be Kawahara Sayuri, another concubine on the same level as Kouka and also her neighbour.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mayuzumi Chihiro stared blankly at the palace ahead of her. Why was she chosen?

Of all the girls, it seemed only she and Furihata Kouka who wished not to be selected. Not only did she find that unlucky, her worries continued to increase the moment she entered the imperial palace. There were some people who looked surprised when they saw her. Why? Even her father looked resigned when he welcomed her home, as if he knew the verdict beforehand.

"Mistress," Nene, her personal maid that she brought from home, called. "Eunuch Yuta came to see you."

Chihiro walked into the living room and then sat in a chair at the far end of the room.

A eunuch with dark blue uniform entered the living room, six maids following after him and each of them carrying a tray with gifts.

"Greetings to First Class Female Attendant Chihiro," he said and bowed. There was a look of surprised before he quickly returned to an even expression. "I came to bring a welcome gift from the Empress."

A subordinate of the Empress then?

The maids put the gifts they brought on the table.

"Thank you, Eunuch Yuta." Chihiro said.

"You are expected to pay your respect towards the Empress on Monday."

"Understood," she replied.

The etiquette teacher had informed her that the concubines had to come to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility to pay their respect to the Empress each morning.

Chihiro found that very weird. Concubines usually don't like each other, so why must they face each other daily and pretend to be good friends when, in reality, they hated each other? Chihiro hated that. At least Empress Tetsuya had the sense to meet only once a week, though once a year would be better in her opinion.

"Please express my gratefulness to His Highness for his kindness." Chihiro said before signaling to her personal maid. "Nene."

Nene came forward. "Eunuch Yuta, please accept this as a token of our gratefulness." And she gave him a few silver coins.

"Thank you, Mistress." Eunuch Yuta said, smiling slightly. "I shall take my leave then." He then bowed and left.

Chihiro sneered inwardly. Even the Empress' eunuch still accepted money from concubines. Then again, bribery acts were common; after all, it's good to know who can help them with little 'favors'.

She glanced at the trays. Colourful silk, jewellry, and hair ornaments… ah, but there was no blue which was her favorite colour. Bronze, silver, but more importantly, gold coins… the Empress was surely generous with money.

"These items are great," commented Nene.

"Put them in my room," she told her maid.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Chihiro!" Sakurai Ryuna suddenly appeared. She was accompanied by her personal maid, one she brought from home.

Chihiro and Ryuna had known each other since childhood, often playing together; it was quite difficult to avoid her when their homes resided so close to each other. Ryuna was the youngest child of Sakurai family. Her parents and her brother constantly spoiled her to the extent that her childish behavior persisted despite that she had come of age.

"Ryuna," she greeted blankly. Unlike her, Ryuna seemed to enjoy life in the palace.

Ryuna observed the room where they were located. "It looks as if each pavilion is the same."

Of course. The pavilion was a place for concubines with a low rank. To stay in the palace building, they needed to be ranked higher.

"I had received gifts from the Empress too," Ryuna watched as Nene put away the gifts. "It's pity we never got a chance to see him."

"We'll see him in two days," Chihiro muttered.

People worshipped Kuroko Takumi because, as a physician, he always helped everyone in need. This, obviously, include poor families, which in turn led people to fondly think of him, and by extension, his grandson as well.

The people's love was not without reason as Empress Tetsuya was a kind and generous Empress. But in the inner palace, the Empress and concubines were rivals. A favoured Concubine could end up with more power than Empress, and those with ill intent could easily get rid of the Empress. Precedent events made many Empresses guard her position fiercely, making sure no one can usurp her position.

But above all, the centre of the life in the imperial harem was the Emperor. All of the consorts, which were the wives and concubines of the emperor, tried their best to entertain the Emperor and gain his favor; they was else nothing to do but strived for the Emperor's love.

That was not something Chihiro was planning to do in the first place, recalling the conversation with her father:

 _"Chihiro," Mayuzumi Ishida called his daughter._

 _"Father," she responded respectfully._

 _"I have something to tell you,"_ _Ishida said, "But_ _you must swear that you'll never tell this to anyone."_

 _Confused, Chihiro could only nod._

 _Ishida took a deep breath and grimly said, "Empress Tetsuya isn't His Imperial Majesty's first wife."_

 _"What do you mean by that, Father?"_ _Chihiro questioned._

 _Everyone knew that Emperor Seijuurou married Empress Tetsuya after he ascended the throne._ _Chihiro and her family also witnessed the procession of the bride_ _when the procession entered Rakuzan._ _It was difficult to forget when Emperor Seijuurou did not collect taxes for one month_ _to celebrate his marriage_ _._

 _"Every prince of the Akashi Dynasty is obligated to marry when they are of age," Ishida explained._ _"At age twenty, the late Emperor ordered the Crown Prince to marry a woman from a noble family._ _He chose Oda Michiko from the Oda family. However, she only became secondary wife._ _The principal wife position was left untouched."_

 _That was surprising. Usually the first wife became the principal wife, but that explained why few heard of Oda Michiko. Marriage before being crowned did not merit a public announcement, and once Crown Prince Seijuurou became Emperor, he had many concubines, so_ _the_ _people_ _only_ _knew about the Empress._

 _"Two years later, after he ascended the throne, His Imperial Majesty married Kuroko Tetsuya and chose him as his principal wife and Empress of Teikou Empire. Oda Michiko was bestowed with Noble Consort rank."_

 _Noble Consort?_ _That was actually one rank higher than protocol dictated because Oda Michiko_ was _childless. It was still strange. The etiquette teacher from the palace didn't mention anything about Noble Consort Michiko._

 _"A few months later, an incident happened and His Imperial Majesty demoted Noble Consort Michiko to_ _Second Class Female Attendant Michiko."_

 _But that was the second lowest rank. What had she done?_

 _"What kind of incident?" she asked._

 _"She raised her hand on the Empress,"_ _Ishida Replied._

 _Chihiro almost couldn't believe her ears._ _Had_ _Oda Michiko gone mad? Physical violence between concubines was forbidden considered due to their equal status, but to raise a hand on the Empress? Was Oda suicidal?_

 _"His Imperial Majesty also cut off her right hand as punishment," Ishida continued._

 _She would have been surprised if there was no punishment._

 _"Then, a year after, something terrible happened."_ _Ishida paused a bit._ _"Second_ _Class Female Attendant Michiko was caught doing witchcraft."_

 _Witchcraft was a capital offense, especially if it involved imperial families. But, Chihiro understood why_ _Oda_ _Michiko resorted to occult._ _She must hated Kuroko Tetsuya for taking the Empress position, which she considered as her right as the first wife._

 _"She tried to curse Empress Tetsuya. Reported lost items of Empress Tetsuya were found in the investigation, and it was apparent that Michiko used those in the ritual. His Imperial Majesty was outraged._ _Every maid and eunuch who_ _served Oda_ _were executed by decapitation. He was about to kill_ _her_ _and her family as well, but Empress Tetsuya pleaded for them. "_

 _"Empress Tetsuya pleaded for them?"_ _She asked._

 _"Yes._ _He reasoned that his late grandfather was a physician who helped to heal people._ _Thus, he was unwilling to be the cause of murder," Ishida answered his daughter's question. "His Imperial Majesty finally relented. She was put into the Cold Palace, and her family was sent away to a rural province."_

 _The Cold Palace_ _was a place where all the disgraced ex-concubines were sent. Most either went crazy or died._

 _"His Imperial Majesty also removed her name from the Akashi Imperial Family Registry."_

 _So, that explained why people recognized Empress Tetsuya as the only wife of Emperor Seijuurou._ _With that order, Oda_ _Michiko had ceased to exist, and even her own family wouldn't acknowledge her anymore._

 _Chihiro stared at her father._ _"Why are you telling me this?"_

 _Her father was quiet for a long time. "As your father, I want you to live happily until old age..." he trailed off._

 _"Listen, the inner palace is a dangerous place._ _Do not seek for His Imperial Majesty's attention, and no matter what you see and no matter what happens, do not cross Empress Tetsuya. Do you understand?"_

 _"Yes, Father."_

"What clothes should I wear later?" Ryuna wondered aloud, breaking Chihiro from her thoughts.

She stared at her friend. She truly had to do something. With this level of naivety, Ryuna wouldn't survive long in the inner palace.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Two days later:

Kouka was prepared to go pay respect to Empress Tetsuya; she even had chosen what to wear the day before. Once she was ready, she and her personal maid departed to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Empress Tetsuya's residence.

The Palace of Lasting Happiness was large and magnificent, but Empress Tetsuya's palace was even grander. With large panel windows and the yard filled with blooming hydrangeas, irises, and other blue flowers, the palace was simply enchanting. Unfortunately, this was not the time to admire the scenery.

Chihiro, Ryuna, and the other concubines had arrived in the waiting area outside the main hall. Kouka was the last concubine to come.

Ryuna smiled at her.

Kouka smiled back.

Chihiro kept her face blank as usual.

Kawahari Sayuri nodded at her.

"Please come in," the guard told them.

They entered the hall. Empress Tetsuya was already waiting for them, seated on his throne. He was very beautiful, with sapphires, kingfisher feathers, and gold adorning his headdress. But Kouka, along with the other concubines and maids, was very surprised when she first saw Empress Tetsuya's face for the first time.

Empress Tetsuya and Mayuzumi Chihiro looked very similar. With their baby blue eyes and hair and the same stoic expression, they could be easily mistaken as siblings.

Another eunuch, who Kouka supposed was Empress Tetsuya' head eunuch, said. "Please pay your respect to the Empress."

The hierarchy system was very strict, and everyone was to behave in accordance to their rank. The new concubines were to kneel but not bow like normal subjects, waving their handkerchiefs over their shoulders instead.

"Wife pays respect to Your Highness the Empress, may the Heaven bestow health and happiness to Your Highness the Empress," the concubines said in unison.

"You may rise," Empress Tetsuya said.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness," the concubines returned in unison before they sat in their chairs.

"Welcome to Crimson Forbidden City," said Empress Tetsuya, even his flat voice and blank expression was very much like Chihiro. "I hope all of you will live peacefully here and do your duty to give heir to His Imperial Majesty."

"We understand," the concubines replied in unison. "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness."

"All of you may leave now." Empress Tetsuya ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness."

They bowed for the last time and then left the place one by one. Kouka saw that Hanamiya Masaki left with Kawahara Sayuri, while HaizakiShiina left with Moriyama Tomomi and Fukuda Hiroko. As for Kouka, she left with Ryuna and Chihiro since Ryuna had invited them to her place.

Once they reached the pavilion, Ryuna immediately commented. "I was really surprised earlier. You look like the Empress so much Chihiro. People could mistake you as siblings."

"I don't look like him," Chihiro replied flatly.

Both of them stared at Chihiro. Was she serious? There was a definite resemblance.

Why couldn't Chihiro see it?

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At the Hall of Mental Cultivation:

Higuchi Shota was waiting for Emperor Seijuurou to choose the first concubine to serve him. He had brought with him a tray of name tags, and once the new concubines paid their respect to the Empress, they could start their duty to serve Emperor Seijuurou.

"Please, Your Imperial Majesty." Shota said as he passed the tray of names.

Shota was almost certain that Emperor Seijuurou would choose Mayuzumi Chihiro's name tag since she bore a remarkable resemblance to Empress Tetsuya. But he turned to be very shocked when the Emperor chose a different name.

"This one will do," Emperor Seijuurou said.

Shota stared at the nametag. Sakurai Ryuna...

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At Harmony Pavilion:

Kouka, Chihiro and Ryuna were talking when a messenger came bearing the news that Ryuna had been chosen as the first one to serve the Emperor.

"Aunt Mai shall come soon to guide you, First Class Female Attendant Ryuna," the messenger informed her.

"Thank you," Ryuna managed to say.

Once the messenger left, Ryuna couldn't contain her happiness. "I can't believe it," she muttered. "I am the first one to be chosen."

"We should take our leave then," Chihiro said.

"Yes," agreed Kouka.

The etiquette teacher would come soon and she would tell Ryuna what to expect. No other person was allowed to be there.

Ryuna looked at Chihiro. "You aren't mad, are you?" She asked.

Why would Chihiro be mad at her friend? She shook her head. "I'm glad for you," she replied.

"I thought you would be the first one to be Chosen," Ryuna admitted.

Judging by the look on her face, it seemed that Kouka had thought of the same thing.

Inwardly, Chihiro was torn. On one side, she was relieved that she wasn't the first one to sleep with Emperor Seijuurou. She was worried before because of her face. She never thought that she would resemble Empress Tetsuya so much. Was that the reason behind her father's warning?

But now that it seemed that her resemblance won't pose a problem, she now had to worry for Ryuna. By choosing her, the Emperor had painted a target on her back, especially when she was a lower ranked Concubine compared to Hanamiya Misaki and Haizaki Shiina. It didn't help that Ryuna still possessed the naive, romantic notions of life in the palace.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ryuna was very happy, nervous, excited, and shy at the same time. How could she not when she was the first concubine to serve Emperor Seijuurou!

Like the messenger had told her, Aunt Mai came to tell her what was to be expected. She blushed when she thought about it and blushed even harder when she thought about Emperor Seijuurou.

Ryuna had seen Emperor Seijuurou before. Her brother was the subordinate of General Aomine Daiki, and once, their entire family was invited to a Mid Autumn feast at the Aomine residence. Chihiro also came with them to the feast.

They were going to leave once the feast ended, but much to their shock, Emperor Seijuurou made his appearance. It was somewhat expected since Princess Satsuki, Emperor Seijuurou's younger half sibling, had married General Aomine Daiki, so perhaps, Emperor Seijuurou came to visit his sister.

However, they didn't have a chance to see Empress Tetsuya. That was why she was surprised to see the similarities between the Empress and her childhood friend.

"Are you ready?" Aunt Mai asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Yes," she replied in small voice. She had bathed before for preparation.

Aunt Mai called the maids to help take off her kimono. After she got naked, she was rolled up in a blanket and then carried to the emperor's bed.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At the Palace of Earthly Tranquility:

Kuroko Tetsuya, or more recently known as Akashi Tetsuya, turned the page of the book he was reading.

Reading was Tetsuya's favourite pastime. One could even say his personal library was on par to the imperial library. However, he couldn't concentrate at all.

The reason behind his agitation was the fact that tonight, his husband would sleep with a new concubine. And this was just the beginning given that there were eight new concubines who entered the royal palace. Tetsuya was aware that this would happen. Even when he was a teenager, he always knew that Seijuurou could never be free of the position he was born to.

That was the reason why Kuroko Takumi, his grandfather, did not approve of their relationship. Certainly his grandfather could not say so in front of Seijuurou at that time. So when his grandfather felt that it was time to retire, he brought Tetsuya to their hometown.

At that time, Tetsuya thought that he would never see Seijuurou again. But, his lover merely told him that he would come after Tetsuya, even boldly saying that Tetsuya would enter the Crimson Forbidden Palace through the Meridian Gate. Despite his scepticism, he could only nod at the confidence Seijuurou eluded.

Even when he did not live in the capital, he continued to see Seijuurou regularly. Friends who stayed in the capital always invited him to their homes to celebrate, from holidays to birthdays and so on. Each time, Seijuurou would always be there.

His grandfather knew, but there was nothing he could do. And once Seijuurou reached the marrying age and wed a woman from a noble family, Kuroko Takumi couldn't be more relieved. He had hoped that would be the end of their relationship. But what Takumi could not foresee was once Seijuurou ascended the throne, he made good of his promise of marrying Tetsuya. Kuroko's grandfather had caved and gave them his blessing but continued to worry, begging Seijuurou to protect him.

Shortly after their marriage, Kuroko Takumi passed away.

Returning to palace meant that Tetsuya had to adapt again to the rules, especially since his position had changed greatly now. He met Seijuurou's first wife, who hated him and even dared slap him once. Of course Seijuurou was very angry when he was informed, but the punishment only serve to increase Oda Michiko's hatred that she resorted to black magic.

Tetsuya was always aware of Oda's eunuch, who snuck into his room to steal his belongings and strands of hair. But he let it happen, only to see what Oda Michiko was plotting.

Seijuurou and Tetsuya did not believe in black magic, witchcraft, or the occult, but the people did, which would spark immense fear across the nation. Moreover, the incident provided an opportunity to rid Oda out of their lives.

A slow creaking sound made Tetsuya raise his head from the book he was reading to the opened secret door. The hidden doorway led to a passage that connected his palace to Seijuurou's palace.

"Good evening, Tetsuya." Seijuurou smiled.

"Good evening," he returned and put the book on the drawer next to his bed.

His husband walked towards him and then climbed into the bed. Drops of water dripped from Seijuurou's wet hair, most likely from a bath he took before he came.

Tetsuya wrapped both of his arms around Seijuurou's neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Seijuurou looked amused, enjoying the rare moments that Tetsuya initiated. They both of course knew why.

"Be patient," his husband jokingly scolded.

"I'm in no hurry." He whispered. A slight shiver ran down his spine when Seijuurou brought a hand to Tetsuya's inner thigh, caressing milky white skin. The clumsily tied silk kimono barely hid anything from Seijuurou's eyes.

Leaning in, Seijuurou pressed his lips against soft chapped lips. The kiss was long and only ended once Tetsuya pushed his husband away, though Seijuurou continued to occupy himself by the nape of Tetsuya's smooth neck.

"Have you seen her?" Seijuurou asked him, his lips grazing against bare skin.

The room was feeling hotter, and with Tetsuya's mind slowly becoming muddled in the heat, he could only whisper a hush, "Yes."

Seijuurou had thought of the idea ever since his husband spotted the girl at Aomine's residence.

"She will be a perfect vessel for our child, Tetsuya."

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone!

Imperial harem in this fic in based on ancient China especially Qing dynasty so please don't see it with modern/western eyes. You may think that some part of the story seems cruel but it was all normal back then.

For the fashion, I have them wearing kimono. But for the hair style, the concubines and the women will have Han dynasty hairstyle while the male will have their hair like canon KnB. As for Kuroko, he has his canon short blue hair. However, he will wear black headdress that is adorned with floral pins, sapphire, gold, gems and blue kingfisher feathers from Qing dynasty. He has daily life hat and official hat. The headdress is my favourite from Legend of Zhen Huan.

Oda Michiko is inspired by Empress Chen Jiao of Han Dynasty's occult case and the black magic calamity during Emperor Han Wudi's reign. Thousand of people were killed because of false accusations of black magic.

Kuroko and Akashi adoption plan is inspired by Empress Ma, an empress during Han Dynasty from the year 60 until her death. Consort Ma herself was childless. Her older sister's daughter, was also a consort to the crown prince, and bore a son. Crown Prince Zhuang instructed Consort Ma to adopt Prince Da as her son, and she did so. She raised him so carefully and lovingly that he never regarded anyone but her as his mother.

The Meridian Gate is the southern (and largest) gate of the Forbidden City. It has five arches. The three central arches are close together; the two flanking arches are farther apart from the three central arches. The centre arch was formerly reserved for the Emperor alone; the exceptions were the Empress, who could enter it once on the day of her wedding, and the top three scholars of the triennial civil service examinations, who left the exams through the central arch. All other officials and servants had to use the four side arches.

The Palace of Earthly Tranquility is the northernmost of the three main halls of the Inner Court of the Forbidden City, the other two halls being the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Hall of Union. In the Ming Dynasty, it was the residence of the Empress. In the Qing Dynasty, large portions of the Palace were converted for Shamanist worship by the new Manchu rulers.

Thank you for reading and please review.


	3. Part I: Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basket and Legend of Zhen Huan. I don't make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains a spoiler for both Kuroko no Basket and Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. Also, there are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. **This fic isn't beta-ed yet. You have been warned. I'm looking for beta reader, so if you're willing to help please tell me.**

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter III: 山雨欲来风满楼 (Coming events cast their shadows before them)

A month had passed since the concubines entered the imperial palace and winter had arrived. Out of eight concubines, Emperor Seijuurou had called four concubines to serve him. Sakurai Ryuna, Hanamiya Misaki, Haizaki Shiina and Kawahara Sayuri. And of the four concubines, Emperor Seijuurou went to Sakurai Ryuna the most.

This made Haizaki Shiina very angry. Sakurai's residence and her residence were close so she knew exactly how often the Emperor went to Sakurai's place. Eunuchs and maids in the palace were saying that Sakurai was the Emperor's favourite concubine. How did it happen? Compared with Sakurai, obviously she was much more beautiful. Not only that, his father also had a higher position than Sakurai's brother. Why Emperor Seijuurou preferred Sakurai than her?

Initially she thought that she needed to pay attention to Mayuzumi Chihiro because she looked like Empress Tetsuya. Surely that would make Emperor Seijuurou to choose her? But it turned out that she was wrong, the Emperor did not even care about Mayuzumi in the slightest. Her resemblance had backfired. Now Shiina's main rival turned out to be Sakurai. If this continued, Sakurai would be the first to have a child. And Shiina would not let it happen.

She was the one who would become Emperor's favourite concubine and then she would give birth to a boy, a heir to the throne. Once that happened, she would wait for an opportunity to get rid of Empress Tetsuya. Kuroko Tetsuya was only a commoner despite the fact that his late grandfather was a great healer. The late Emperor Masaomi even owned him a life debt that he managed to make his only grandson an empress of Teikou Empire. And because Kuroko Tetsuya was very beautiful, he succeeded to gain Emperor Seijuurou's favour.

Shiina smirked. She would take over Empress Tetsuya's position. It was a good thing that Kuroko Tetsuya wasn't a member of influential aristocratic family or child of important officials. Therefore he had no support in the palace. Empress Tetsuya only relied on Emperor's support. Once Emperor Seijuurou didn't like him anymore, he was dead.

"Mistress, look at that," her personal maid said suddenly.

From inside their residence, they could see a convoy led by Eunuch Reo, the head eunuch of Emperor Seijuurou. Behind him were four maids, each of them bringing a gift. And the convoy went into the complex of Palace of Eternal Harmony. Anyone with eyes knew that those gifts were for Sakurai.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As usual, each Monday all the concubines had to pay their respect to Empress Tetsuya. Usually, they came, paid their respect and then Empress Tetsuya would tell them to leave. But this time, they were still sitting in their seats because they were waiting for Ryuna. Chihiro felt anxious. Where was Ryuna? Why she still had not shown up? Other concubines also looked uneasy.

"First Class Female Attendant Ryuna has arrived!" the eunuch who guarded the door announced.

Ryuna hurriedly walked into the hall. She was followed by her personal maid.

"Well, First Class Female Attendant Ryuna is very early today," Moriyama Tomomi said sarcastically.

Ignoring the sarcasm, Ryuna hastily knelt to pay her respect and said, "Wife pays respect to Your Highness the Imperial Empress, may the Heaven bestow health and happiness to Your Highness the Imperial Empress. I apologize for my tardiness, Your Highness."

"Why are you late, First Class Female Attendant Ryuna?" asked Empress Tetsuya.

"I apologize, Your Highness," said Ryuna. "I woke up late this morning and ..."

"Your Highness," cut Haizaki Shiina, "please forgive Attendant Ryuna. Attendant Ryuna served His Imperial Majesty last night so she was tired and woke up late. "

Ryuna looked shocked to hear Haizaki's words.

Chihiro frowned. What kind of excuse was that? Haizaki had tried to ruin Ryuna's with her words just now.

"It is no excuse," said Moriyama again. "His Imperial Empress is the leader of inner palace. Coming late to pay respect to Imperial Empress is an insult. All of us, including His Highness the Empress is still here, waiting for your arrival. Do you assume that your position is higher than Imperial Empress?! "

All the concubines were shocked to hear the accusation.

Ryuna's face went place. "I ... I do not mean that..." She stammered. She looked like she was going to cry now.

"Female Attendant Ryuna should be given appropriate punishment," Fukuda Hiroko added.

Apparently this had already begun. Chihiro already guessed it. Other concubines certainly didn't like it that Emperor Seijuurou chose Ryuna to serve him. And they used this opportunity to vilify Ryuna in front of Empress Tetsuya. Worse, Haizaki tried pitting Ryuna with Empress Tetsuya using Moriyama Tomomi and Fukuda Hiroko. She brought Emperor Seijuurou's name in front of Empress Tetsuya to give the impression that Ryuna felt she was a favourite concubine that she dared to dismiss the Empress.

Chihiro looked at Empress Tetsuya. Unfortunately, that blank face didn't tell her anything. She didn't know if Empress Tetsuya was offended by Ryuna's tardiness or not. However, she had to help her friend.

"Your Highness," she interrupted.

All eyes turned to her.

"Attendant Ryuna doesn't possess evil thought like that. Attendant Ryuna and all of us respect Your Highness as the leader of inner palace."

Ryuna gave her a grateful look.

Meanwhile, Moriyama and Fukuda gave her a look of displeasure.

"I humbly beg that Your Highness provides an opportunity for Attendant Ryuna to explain the reason behind her delay."

"Attendant Ryuna," Empress Tetsuya said. "Explain why you're late."

"Your Highness-" Moriyama tried to protest.

"Silence," Empress Tetsuya ordered. "Let Attendant Ryuna to speak her mind."

No one dared to speak.

Chihiro was relieved to hear that. By doing so, Haizaki and his gang can stop slandering Ryuna before the Empress.

Ryuna took a breath, trying to calm down. "I woke up late this morning, Your Highness," she said, "but I wouldn't be late if not for a eunuch who crashed into me. The eunuch was moving a pot of chrysanthemum and when we collided pot was broken. The soil dirtied my clothes and I was compelled to go home to change my clothes. Please forgive me Your Highness."

There was a pause.

"All right," said Empress Tetsuya, "because it's not your fault so you don't have to worry. I'll forgive you this time."

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Ryuna. She looked relieved. "Thank you. Your Highness the Imperial Empress is very wise. "

Chihiro looked at Haizaki. For a brief second, Haizaki looked very upset before she schooled back her expression.

"You may sit now."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Ryuna said, got up from the floor and then sat next to Chihiro.

Chihiro thought that they could go home now but instead Empress Tetsuya ordered his maids to serve drinks that smelled so nice.

"Vanilla milk," said Empress Tetsuya. "This is my favourite drink. It's really delicious. I want you all to try it too. "

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness," said the concubines in unison.

Chihiro had heard about vanilla. Vanilla was a rare and expensive spice because growing the vanilla seed pods was labour-intensive. The plants could only be grown in Seirin province. Vanilla was the second most expensive spice after saffron. Despite the expense, vanilla was highly valued for its flavour. Only the royal family who could afford to consume it because of the astronomical price. In addition, vanilla was also sold to other countries.

After drinking vanilla milk, Empress Tetsuya dismissed them. Chihiro glanced at Ryuna. The girl still looked shock even though the drink was enough to help soothing her.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you feeling better?" Chihiro asked when they had arrived at the pavilion where Ryuna lived.

Ryuna nodded. "I was really afraid, you know," she said in a low voice. "I thought I was going to pass out."

It was no wonder. Ryuna was pampered and protected at home. And just now, Haizaki and her gang attacked Ryuna ruthlessly.

"I was really worried," Kouka admitted. "I was afraid that you would be punished."

"Actually, what happened?" Chihiro demanded.

"I woke up late and out of fear I hurriedly went to Empress Tetsuya's palace," Ryuna explained. "On the way, there was a eunuch who brought a pot of chrysanthemum. The pot was so large so he didn't see me. Finally we collided. The pot was broken and the soil dirtied my clothes. "

Ryuna's personal maid nodded. "That's right, Mistress Chihiro. I accompanied Mistress Ryuna back here to change clothes. That's why we were delayed. "

"But how could Moriyama say that about you?" Kouka muttered.

"Yes! That Moriyama...," Ryuna complained. "His Imperial Majesty came here yesterday, but everyone know that His Imperial Majesty never spend the night with the concubine. His Imperial Majesty only stays in Empress Tetsuya's palace."

Based on imperial palace protocol, on the first night concubines served the Emperor, they would be taken to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. That was the only chance for a concubine to spend the night at Emperor's palace. After that, the Emperor would go to the residence of the concubine that he chose to serve him and spent the night there. However, Emperor Seijuurou never once spent the night with the concubines. Once he slept with them, Emperor Seijuurou would return to Palace of Heavenly Purity. Emperor Seijuurou only stayed with Empress Tetsuya.

"We must be careful," said Chihiro.

Kouka frowned to hear that.

"Today Haizaki, Moriyama and Fukuda deliberately provoked Empress Tetsuya to punish you. I think they will do it again in the future if the opportunity arises. "

"But why?" Ryuna asked in confusion. "I did not do anything to them."

Chihiro sighed. Ryuna was too naive for her own good.

"They're jealous," Kouka explained.

"Eh?"

"Among all new concubines, His Imperial Majesty visits you the most. And your place is adjacent with Haizaki."

"But it's not my fault." Ryuna protested at the injustice.

"They won't care."

"Therefore we all have to be careful," Chihiro added. "And don't forget about the eunuch with the chrysanthemum pot. It's winter now."

"What do you mean?" Kouka asked.

"Bureau of Imperial Gardens and Park has arranged for all of chrysanthemums to be moved when the blossom withers."

"Ah! You're right," Kouka said.

It was forbidden in the imperial palace to display withered flowers because it would bring bad luck. Chrysanthemum flowers that bloomed in the fall must have been moved back to the nursery to be taken care until the autumn next year.

"That means ..."

"Someone deliberately sent that eunuch to make you late."

Ryuna looked shocked.

Kouka was also shocked.

"But why ..." said Ryuna sadly.

Chihiro was rather sad to see her friend like that. But, Ryuna needed to open her eyes. Ryuna managed to save herself this time. But what about the future? Chihiro was convinced that this was just the beginning.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next day at the Hall of Mental Cultivation...

"Please, Your Imperial Majesty," said Shota Higuchi. He had brought with him a tray of name tags.

Of the eight concubines who entered the palace as many as four concubines had been selected to serve Emperor Seijuurou based on a report written in Imperial Concubine Record. Of the four concubines, Sakurai Ryuna had served Emperor Seijuurou five times, Hanamiya Misaki three times, Haizaki Shiina three times and Kawahara Sayuri once. Overall, Emperor Seijuurou had visited his concubines twelve times. The amount was less than the visit to Empress Tetsuya's palace. In the last month, Emperor Seijuurou spent eighteen nights at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. It seemed that even with the arrival of any new concubines, Emperor Seijuurou's affection towards Empress remained unchanged.

"This one will do," said Emperor Seijuurou.

Shota looked at the name tag. Furihata Kouka...

"I understand, Your Imperial Majesty," said Shota.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kouka was still in Ryuna's place when the messenger came to tell her that she was selected to serve Emperor Seijuurou.

"Aunt Mai will come to guide you, First Class Female Attendant Ryuna," the messenger said.

"Thank you," Kouka vaguely could hear her own voice. The situation was surreal. She didn't suspect that her turn to serve Emperor Seijuurou had arrived.

"You are requested to return to the Pavilion of Joy to prepare yourself," said the messenger.

"I understand."

After the messenger left, Ryuna exclaimed excitedly. "Finally, your turn arrives!" She forgot what happened just now.

"Go," said Chihiro, "you have to get ready."

"I..."

"Yes?" Ryuna asked, confused.

"I'm afraid ..." she admitted.

"You don't need to worry," said Ryuna, "His Imperial Majesty is so handsome." Ryuna seemed to hesitate for a moment before she stepped forward and whispered in Kouka's ear Kouka. "At first it's a bit painful but you'll enjoy it."

"Ryuna!" Kouka face went red. She didn't believe her ears. Had Ryuna gone insane talking like that?

Ryuna also blushed. She also became embarrassed by her words just now.

Chihiro looked at them with flat face as usual. "What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing!" Kouka said quickly.

"Go home," said Ryuna.

"Yes. Do not let Aunt Mai come to your place first."

Kouka nodded. "I'll be going now."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Kouka arrived at the Pavilion of Joy, there were already many gifts that await her. The gifts came from Emperor Seijuurou.

Aunt Mai came shortly thereafter. It was her responsibility to prepare the concubines for their first time. She told them step-by-step about what to do. Aunt Mai also told her what would happen on the first night.

"Your bath is ready, Mistress," Mao said.

After taking a bath, she was wrapped in a heavy blanket and taken to emperor palace.

Shee was placed on a bed in a room that had been specially prepared for the concubines to serve the Emperor.

Kouka was very tense now.

Emperor Seijuurou stepped inside.

Kouka turned. This was the first time she was so close to Emperor Seijuurou. It was also the first time she could look at Emperor Seijuurou's face clearly. Emperor Seijuurou was very handsome with aristocratic face. He possessed bright red hair, just like all members of Akashi dinasty. Kouka was mesmerized by Emperor Seijuurou's eyes since he had complete heterochromia iridum; one red and one gold.

The longer she stared at Emperor Seijuurou, the faster her heart beat. She also began to sweat. She was too nervous and tense. The nervousness made her shaking now.

It had not gone unnoticed by Emperor Seijuurou. "Weren't you given training by Aunt Mai?"

"Y-yes, Your Imperial Majesty," she said, stuttering nervously.

Emperor Seijuurou turned and walked away.

"Reo," Emperor Seijuurou said.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," Eunuch Reo answered.

"Return Kouka to her residence."

What? What happened?

"Your Imperial Majesty?" Eunuch Reo looked confused.

However, Emperor Seijuurou had left the room. Eunuch Reo was very confused. This had never happened in the history of people serving the emperor. But he was not surprised. Concubine Kouka was shaking and shivering, being extremely tense. It was no wonder that Emperor Seijuurou was turned off. Any other concubine who was chosen to serve the Emperor would do so eagerly and wholeheartedly.

"Return Second Class Female Attendant Kouka back to Pavilion of Joy." Eunuch Reo ordered.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Your Highness."

Tetsuya looked up. He was reading a book his grandfather had left him.

Riko, his personal maid stepped forward and said. "Eunuch Yuta just sent his report, Your Highness."

"What is it, Riko?"

"His Imperial Majesty rejected Attendant Kouka. She was escorted back to her residence. "

"Really?" Tetsuya remembered Furihata Kouka. Eunuch Yuta reported that she was the only concubine who did not bribe him with money. Moreover, they were from the same city.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Anyone who knows about this?"

"The eunuchs and maids who serve His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, the maids who serve Concubine Kouka and Aunt Mai. By tomorrow, the news will spread throughout the imperial palace." Riko raised her head. "Does Your Highness want to do something?"

"Let it be," Tetsuya said. "Keep an eye on them as usual."

"I understand, Your Highness." Riko answered. "I will report if there is anything suspicious."

"Thank you, Riko. You may leave. "

"I shall take my leave, Your Highness."

Tetsuya considered for a moment before closing the book he was reading and put it into a drawer. It was useless. After all, he couldn't concentrate. Tetsuya then rose from the chair and walked towards his bedroom. Of course this was not the first time Seijuurou slept with his concubines and not the last. Tetsuya had gotten used to it now. He sighed. He had to be patient until he and Seijuurou achieved their goal.

His bedroom was very large and luxurious, even his house at Seirin could fit into his bedroom. The room was furnished with a bed of mahogany carved phoenix, two bedside tables flanking the bed, a table, two long sofas, a desk and several chairs. And since it was winter now, there was a coal stove to keep the room warm. There was also a partition that served as a cover for changing room. Behind the partition there were a series of wardrobe, a large dressing table with boxes of jewellery and a large mirror. The whole room was dominated by red which was the imperial colour of Teikou Empire.

Tetsuya changed from his daily kimono to sleeping kimono. Then he walked towards the bed when a pair of hands suddenly hugged him from behind.

"Good evening, Tetsuya," Seijuurou whispered. His breath was so warm at Tetsuya's ear.

"Good evening, Your Imperial Majesty."

"You're as formal as usual," said Seijuurou. He sounded very amused. "There are only two of us here Tetsuya. Is that how you treat your husband?"

Tetsuya became annoyed. He was someone who always adhered to the protocol in which no one was allowed to call the Emperor by name. But Seijuurou never concerned himself with such rules.

"Good evening, Seijuurou." He finally relented.

In return, Seijuurou began to kiss and lick Tetsuya's neck.

"Aah," Tetsuya moaned.

Seijuurou's right hand moved to his hip while the other hand slid beneath his kimono, stroking his thigh. And because Seijuurou hugged him tightly from behind, Tetsuya could tell that his husband was very aroused now.

"Seijuurou ..."

"What is it, Tetsuya?"

It was unbelievable that Seijuurou stil managed to talk normally like that.

"Please ..." he said.

Tetsuya knew that Seijuurou certainly was smirking with satisfaction now. "Because Tetsuya has asked nicely ..." and Seijuurou immediately lifted him and carried him to the bed.

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone!

Thank you for reading and please review.


	4. Part I: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basketball and Legend of Zhen Huan. I do not make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains a spoiler for both Kuroko no Basketball and Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. Also, there are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. **This chapter is edited by AokazuSei. Thank you so much for your help.**

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter IV: 星星之火,可以燎原 (A single sparks can start a prairie fire)

"It's chicken again," complained Haizaki Shiina when she viewed shipment of food ingredients provided by the palace kitchen. "Why do they not provide some other food? Like, bird nests, sea cucumbers, abalone, crab or shark fin perhaps?"

"Mistress," said Ai, the maid provided for her from the palace, "Sumptuous meals such as those are only presented at a celebration. On a normal day, there is only chicken, pork, and fish."

"I did not know the palace had rules like that," Shiina said surprised.

"It's an order from the Imperial Empress to reduce spending in the inner palace."

Shiina was annoyed to hear that. To reduce spending in inner palace? Ridiculous! What did Empress Tetsuya know about delicious food anyway? Shiina even dared to bet that before he became an empress, Kuroko Tetsuya had never taste such delicacies.

Teikou Empire was very prosperous and wealthy. All the people in the palace could eat shark fin or bird's nest or abalone for every meal of the day, and there would be no dent in the treasury. Why the imperial palace bothered with this rule was beyond her.

"But Imperial Empress drinks vanilla milk, and vanilla is very expensive," she said.

"Vanilla is the offering of a Seirin governor," Ai explained.

Within a year, there were three important events, namely the Spring Festival or New Year, Winter Solstice, and the Emperor's Birthday. In the three events, officials would gift an offering for Emperor Seijuurou. Governors of the 23 provinces of Teikou Empire would usually give the best agricultural products typical of each region. Although the offerings were only required to be given to the emperor, officials typically included a gift for the Empress as well.

"Leave!" she commanded.

"I shall take my leave, Mistress." Ai replied.

Not just food, even a monthly allowance from imperial palace was also a very little amount. Fortunately, her father was a minister, an influential government official, so it was easy for her to send a letter home. With the money given from her father every month, Shiina ordered her servant to buy a wide variety of her favorite foods. It had never occurred in her mind, that her father salary as a minister wasn't enough to finance her family's grand life style.

"Second Class Female Attendant Tomomi has arrived! Second Class Female Attendant Hiroko has arrived!" The eunuch who guarded the pavilion announced.

Moments later, the thick curtain lifted, and Moriyama Tomomi and Fukuda Hiroko stepped inside. Tomomi was wearing a pink silk kimono, plum blossom adorning her sides, while Hiroko was wearing a green silk kimono decorated with a bamboo leaves pattern. They also wore a winter coat made of two layers of silk, the contents filled with goose feathers for warmth. Aside of that, they had a muff to protect their hands.

Both Tomomi and Fukuda's families were assisted by the Haizaki family, so they both obeyed Shiina in the palace. Of the two, Hiroko was much smarter. She also was not so talkative, while Tomomi was the opposite.

"Greetings, Noble Lady Shiina," said both of them simultaneously.

"You may sit." Shiina ordered.

"Thank you, Noble Lady Shiina."

Tomomi and Hiroko sat in chairs provided. Tomomi, as expected, was the one who spoke first.

"We saw Mayuzumi Chihiro and Sakurai Ryuna earlier. They're going to Furihata Kouka's pavilion."

Shiina gave a smirk. "Oh, they're going to visit that lowlife? Hopefully, after meeting Furihata, His Imperial Majesty will reject them."

Tomomi smiled with satisfaction. "Absolutely, Noble Lady Shiina."

"I do not know what really happened," Murmured Hiroko. "For His Imperial Majesty to refuse Attendant Kouka."

Shiina, too, was curious. No one knew the reason behind the rejection, but Shiina was certainly pleased with the misfortune that befell Furihata. One less rival to worry about. Hopefully, Emperor Seijuurou would reject Sakurai Ryuna as well in the future. "It is a truly shame. Rejected like that. It would be better if she killed herself than bear the shame."

"Yes," said Tomomi. "All people in the palace are busy gossiping about her. That's why she does not dare to come out of her residence."

"We heard that Mayuzumi and Sakurai would take her to the palace garden," said Hiroko. "They want to comfort her."

Shiina smiled condescendingly. "Then, let's get into the palace garden. I want to see how she looks after this humiliation."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mayuzumi Chihiro and Sakurai Ryuna were on their way to visit the Furihata Kouka. After the shocking news about how Emperor Seijuurou refused Kouka and sent her back, Kouka just remained in her residence and did not come out, which was understandable and unsurprising. The inhabitants of the palace fussed and gossiped about what sort of offense she had done to incur Emperor Seijuurou's wrath. There were various versions passed along, each more horrific as the rumors continued to grow.

"Hopefully Kouka is fine," murmured Ryuna.

Chihiro hoped so.

Finally, they arrived at Pavilion of Joy.

"First Class Female Attendant Ryuna arrived! First Class Female Attendant Chihiro arrived!" The eunuch announced.

Kouka was surprised to see them.

"Kouka!" exclaimed Ryuna. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine," Kouka smiled a bit. A go board sat in front of her. She was playing go alone. "Sit down. Mao, please get a drink and a snack."

"Yes, Mistress," said Mao. The girl then left to the kitchen.

"What really happened?" Ryuna demanded impatiently. She could no longer contain her curiosity.

"Ryuna ..." Chihiro warned her best friend.

"It's alright," said Kouka. She took a deep breath.

Ryuna and Chihiro exchanged glances.

Kouka was silent for long time before she spoke. "I was ... so scared," Kouka explained. "I was shaking and sweating. When His Imperial Majesty saw my condition, I was immediately sent home."

Chihiro did not know what to say to hear Kouka's confession. Among the three of them, she was the only one who had not been called to serve the emperor. But Chihiro also was not a fool, she knew what would happen on the first night.

Ryuna otherwise was confused. "But what is there to fear? It's our duty to serve His Imperial Majesty," she stated innocently. "And besides, His Imperial Majesty is young and very handsome. We're very lucky to become his concubine."

Chihiro sighed. She gave Ryuna a look.

Ryuna looked chastised. Ever since she was child, Ryuna didn't know to filter her mouth. She always spoke what was on her mind, not that it was a problem in her home, but she was a concubine now. One wrong word, and their head would be separated from their body.

Kouka smiled bitterly. "I wish I could be like you. That would be so much better," she said softly. "I only humiliate my family."

That was also true. With the news spreading so fast, it was only a matter of time till the ministers heard. People would say that the Furihata family failed in educating their daughter. Being selected as a concubine of the emperor was a great honor and glory, and yet Kouka had failed to fulfill her duty.

Everyone was quiet until Mao appeared with a tray of hot tea and cake. "Please," she said before leaving them.

"I'm sorry," said Ryuna awkwardly. "I did not mean anything. I'm just worried about you."

"I know that," replied Kouka. "Thank you both for coming here."

"Ah, how about we take a walk to the garden?" Ryuna proposed.

"But it's winter now," Kouka was confused. What would be seen in the garden in winter? Indeed, there were trees that remained green throughout the year but no flowers.

"Come one," said Ryuna.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, so Kouka agreed to go along with them. Chihiro was quite relieved.

"Alright. I'm going to take my coat and muff first," said Kouka.

Despite Kouka's fear of Emperor Seijuurou, there must be something she could do to make Emperor Seijuurou call her again. If it stayed like this, her future would be bleak at the imperial court, difficult at the very least. If one was a favoured concubine, she would have power yet be hated by the others. But if one was rejected by the emperor, she would be bullied. The key was to balance the act and be smart. They must stay vigilant, forever.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Although it was winter now, the garden turned out to be amazingly beautiful. Fresh snow clung in mounds and covered the trees, and land that used to be covered with luscious green grass was also covered by a pristine white rug as far as the eye could see.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" exclaimed Ryuna happily as she looked around.

Chihiro nodded in agreement. They rarely came out in the winter, but the snowy landscape unexpectedly turned out spectacular.

"Look! The pond isn't frozen!" Ryuna exclaimed in delight.

"Where?" Kouka asked.

"There!"

The three of them walked toward the pond. It was true. The pond didn't freeze.

"But where's the fish?"

"Maybe the fish stays on the bottom of the pond," said Chihiro.

"Too bad," muttered Ryuna. "I have fish pond in my house," she told Kouka, "I love to see koi swimming in the pond."

"We can visit here again when spring comes," said Kouka. She looked amused now and not as sad anymore as before.

"You're right," replied Ryuna. "I'll bring the food fish as well."

"Well, well, well, look who's here."

The three of them turned and saw Haizaki Shiina and her minions, Moriyama Tomomi and Hiroko Fukuda.

'Noble Lady Shiina, Attendant Hiroko, Attendant Tomomi," Ryuna looked as she addressed them. "What brings you here?"

"We're enjoying the scenery," said Haizaki. "Why do you ask anyway? Is this garden in your domain that we require your permission to come?"

"Attendant Ryuna is His Imperial Majesty favorite," sneered Moriyama, "Perhaps she thought this palace garden already belonged to her."

"I never said that!" Ryuna protested. She looked frightened now, remembering the time Haizaki slandered her in front of Empress Tetsuya.

Haizaki looked at Kouka. "Attendant Kouka is here too. I had thought you'd stay in the Pavilion of Joy forever, but apparently, you have thick skin."

Kouka flushed red, a mixture of embarrassment and anger, but she did not dare to say anything since her rank was below Haizaki.

"Noble Lady Shiina," said Chihiro, trying to calm the situation, "The palace garden is very beautiful today. Why don't we both enjoy this view?" Chihiro hoped Haizaki and her minion would soon leave. If this continued, eventually one of them would say the words that cannot be withdrawn. And if that happened, who would be responsible for it?

Haizaki gave her a dismissive gaze now. The girl must think that Chihiro was afraid of her. "Attendant Chihiro is here too."

"Of the three of you, only Attendant Chihiro has not been called by His Imperial Majesty," Fukuda stated haughtily.

"Being uncalled does not pose much of a problem compared to one that has been called and then rejected," Haizaki intervened sharply.

"Absolutely," Moriyama said, chuckling. "Attendant Kouka, you only humiliate your family. If I were your parents, I would have killed myself."

Kouka face went pale.

Ryuna was shocked.

Even Fukuda seemed surprised by Moriyama's speech just now.

Only Haizaki looked happy.

Who would not be surprised? How could Moriyama talk like that? Speaking ill of one's parents, let alone to curse like that, was against the rules of the most basic manners. It was unforgivable!

"What?" Moriyama challenged. "Did I say something wrong?"

Kouka was silent.

"Attendant Tomomi," said Chihiro sharply, "You come from educated family, your father even has a position in government, and yet you still don't have manners. Did your father and mother never teach you common courtesy? You behave like barbarian."

"What did you say?" Moriyama was furious. She raised her hand to slap Chihiro.

When the situation appeared to be out of control, a loud command echoed in the garden.

"Stop!"

They all turned.

It was Aida Riko, Empress Tetsuya's head of maid, accompanied by other maids. And in the middle of the entourage, Empress Tetsuya sat, dressed in a fine fox fur coat, as the eunuchs carried the royal palanquin.

Since when did Empress Tetsuya arrive?

Ryuna, Kouka, and Chihiro were relieved, for lack of a better word, at Empress Tetsuya's appearance. Though, the opposite was true for Haizaki and Moriyama who looked both upset and scared. Fukuda remained calm; it wasn't as if she said anything disgraceful.

"Greetings to Imperial Empress," They all knelt to pay respect.

"You may rise."

His face was expressionless as usual. But, how much did Empress Tetsuya hear and see?

"Thank you for the kindness of Your Highness the Empress."

Big blue eyes stared at them one by one, stopping only upon the figure of Moriyama. "All of you are the concubine of His Imperial Majesty. Physical act constitutes a serious violation. Surely you know that, Attendant Tomomi?"

"Please forgive me, Your Highness," Moriyama pleaded. It was very clear that she was scared now. Surely, she would be punished for her act, and impulsively, words left her mouth.

"But Attendant Chihiro is the first who started it."

What?

"You do not need to defend yourself," His voice changed sharply and decisively. Despite the slight different in tone, Chihiro, as well as Haizaki and Moriyama, noticed the change. "I heard everything you said very clearly. Including your words about Attendant Kouka's parents."

Moriyama paled. She fell to his knees. "Please forgive me, Your Highness. Please forgive me. I really didn't mean it. Please..."

Empress Tetsuya looked at her. "Your punishment for trying to slap Attendant Chihiro is having your monthly allowance reduced to half for six months. You're also locked up in your dwellings for three months. With the exception of a eunuch in charge of delivering food, no one is allowed in or out," he paused a bit. "And for your impudence, 40 slaps on your face."

Moriyama couldn't speak. The shock was too much.

Riko gave a nod, and a stern-looking female maid walked up to them.

The maid slapped Moriyama right cheek. "1..." she counted.

Then she slapped Moriyama left cheek. "2..."

And then she slapped Moriyama right cheek. "3..."

When the sentence was completed, Moriyama cheeks were red and puffy, nearly like a squirrel storing walnuts in his mouth. Visible red handprints stained white cheeks.

"Let this be a lesson," Empress Tetsuya finished addressing Moriyama before he turned towards Haizaki. "Concubine Shiina, you also speak nonsense. Therefore, your monthly allowance is reduced to half for three months."

Haizaki didn't dare to argue or defend herself at all. Chihiro was sure that Haizaki was shocked by those punishments. With Empress Tetsuya's porcelain appearance, she certainly did not think the Empress to provide such decisive punishments.

"Go home to your own residence," The Empress commanded before the eunuchs carried him away.

"Wives obey the command of Your Highness the Empress."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Please, Your Highness," said Aida Riko.

"Thank you, Riko," He took a sip of the warm vanilla milk, savoring the creamy sweetness. Vanilla always managed to make Tetsuya feel calm. He put back the empty glass on the table.

Because Tetsuya was tired inside his palace, he had decided to visit the imperial garden. Unexpectedly, Tetsuya had to witness the commotion between Haizaki group and Sakurai group. The whole ordeal spoiled Tetsuya's mood, especially Moriyama Tomomi's manner.

"Riko, what do you think about the commotion?" Tetsuya asked.

"Currently, there are three groups among the concubines. The first group consisted of Sakurai Ryuna, Mayuzumi Chihiro, and Furihata Kouka. The second group consists of Haizaki Shiina, Moriyama Tomomi, and Fukuda Hiroko while the third group consists of Hanamiya Misaki and Kawahara Sayuri," said Riko , "Of the three groups, Haizaki's group has made their stance and is openly hostile towards Sakurai's group. Sakurai's group has only defended themselves so far. The more observant concubines in the groups are Fukuda Hiroko and Mayuzumi Chihiro, respectively."

"What about Hanamiya?" Tetsuya asked.

"So far, Hanamiya has not done anything. It seems she either plans to watch the situation or plans to keep quiet for the fall of Haizaki or Sakurai. Hanamiya would benefit from any of their downfalls."

"She's smarter than I thought," Murmured Tetsuya. "Haizaki is hot-headed while Mayuzumi seems to avoid confrontation."

"But still, they all do not realize that they are in your palm."

Tetsuya sighed. "Watch them closely. Do not let anything bad happen."

"I understood, Your Highness."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A month had passed, and Moriyama Tomomi was still incarcerated. But, being locked up didn't mean she missed the gossip or the latest news in the palace as the eunuch who delivered groceries was very pleased to share stories.

Tomomi was extremely angered. Because of her house arrest, she missed the celebration of Winter Solstice, one of the celebrations she was looking forward to. In addition, she also heard that all the concubines been called to serve the Emperor except of her because she was not allowed to come out.

This was Mayuzumi Chihiro's fault! How dare she speak against Tomomi! If it weren't because of her, she wouldn't be punished by Empress Tetsuya. Sakurai Ryuna and Furihata Kouka were also the same. The longer she thought about her punishment, the angrier she became.

She caressed her cheek. Her punishment had spread throughout the palace, and the pain was nothing compared to her embarrassment. Her fury intensified to the point where Tomomi grabbed a vase and threw it against the wall. The vase shattered.

"Concubine Tomomi!" Her maid hurriedly cleared the ceramic vase fragments. The girl was afraid that her mistress would be injured.

Tomomi would pay Mayuzumi Chihiro for this humiliation. Even though if it was the last thing she would do.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After the Winter Solstice celebration, the next big celebration was the Emperor's Birthday. Akashi Seijuurou was born on the twentieth day in twelfth month, and this year would be his twenty-fifth birthday. Officials would come from all provinces of Teikou Empire and go to the Crimson Forbidden City. There, they would gather in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to congratulate and wish the Emperor longevity and prosperity.

The celebration would last long through the night, with a celebration from the Imperial Family as well as Officials who were selected by the emperor. A large banquet would be held, and guests would be entertained by singing, dancing, and plays. The peak as well as the closing ceremony would be graced with a beautiful display of fireworks.

After everything was finished, everyone returned to their own residence. Likewise, Tetsuya returned to his palace, but instead of resting, he needed to get ready for Seijuurou.

"You may leave," Tetsuya said.

Riko nodded. "I shall take my leave, Your Highness."

Tetsuya took off his gold crown and placed it on the dressing table. Slowly, he undressed, slipping off the official crimson clothing, trimmed with gold and black, until the length swept against the floor. In the closet was a red sleeping kimono, a shade of fire that Seijuurou liked to see Tetsuya engulfed in. Next was the dressing table, and he opened a jewelry box to reveal a three tiered sapphire necklace. He wore them too.

Tetsuya stared at himself in the mirror. His body wrapped in red silk kimono in a way that could only be called provocative, the garment tied carelessly around his waist, while the blue sapphire necklace caused his eyes to glow a deeper shade of cerulean.

The door to his bedroom opened, and Seijuurou stepped inside.

"Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty," said Tetsuya, leaned forward slightly.

Seijuurou held out his right hand. Tetsuya took it.

A pair of red and golden eyes explored Tetsuya face. With his fingers, Seijuurou brushed the blue strands out of Tetsuya's eyes. Seijuurou walked closer, and Tetsuya turned his face upwards a bit, staring at Seijuurou's face.

"I wish a happy birthday to Your Imperial Majesty. May a long life filled with wealth, health, and longevity grace Your Imperial Majesty and bring the Supreme Teikou Empire prosperity and victory." It was formal greeting for the Emperor's birthday.

"I told you Tetsuya, do not talk like that if there are only two of us," admonished Seijuurou.

"I always speak like this," said Tetsuya.

"It's true," Seijuurou spoke. He sounded amused. "Since we first met, you were always so polite. It's been a long time ..."

"Fifteen years..."

When they first met, they were only children, barely ten years old. Back then, Tetsuya did not even know that the little red-haired boy, who practiced his sword until his hands became raw, was the Crown Prince Seijuurou. Time passed so quickly. It had been fifteen years since they met, and ten years since they became lovers.

"And ten years since my fifteenth birthday," Seijuurou continued. "Tetsuya certainly remembers what I wanted for my birthday back then, yes?"

Tetsuya nodded. How could he ever forget what happened that day?

" 'I want Tetsuya', " Seijuurou repeated his words back that night ten years ago. " 'If Tetsuya is mine, I don't need any gifts.' So, where is my gift?"

Tetsuya released the knot of his kimono, pulling it slowly until the red fabric dropped to the floor. Until the only thing he wore was the sapphire necklace that adorned his pale skin.

Seijuurou stared at him. "The color of sapphire necklace makes your eyes look bluer."

He held Tetsuya's hips with both hands, caressing the smooth skin. A moment later, his lips already covered Tetsuya lips, a short chaste kiss until Tetsuya opened his mouth, and a tongue slipped in. His chest burned as they kiss, the only indication that some time has passed, and they are forced to part as they run out of breath.

One of Seijuurou's hands circles around his waist, pulling Tetsuya close so that fabric rubbed against naked skin. Heated breaths filled the room, and the friction of Seijuurou's body had Tetsuya almost moaning. With a smooth motion, as if practiced, Tetsuya was in the air, legs tied around Seijuurou's body as his arms threaded around his neck as Seijuurou carried him to bed.

Seijuurou smirked. "I like to enjoy my birthday present very thoroughly."

It became apparent to Tetsuya that there would be no rest until tomorrow morning.

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading and please review.

Tetsuya's formal official clothing is taken from Virtuos Queen of Han. You can google it because I don't know how to describe the clothes in English. Anyone can help?


	5. Part I: Chapter 5

**If you're interested, you can watch Legend of Zhen Huan/Empresses in the Palace on viki. The short version is also available on Netflix. Please read the author's note for information about the place/history.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basket and Legend of Zhen Huan. I don't make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains spoiler for both Kuroko no Basket and Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. Also there are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. **This chapter is edited by AokazuSei. Thank you so much for your help.**

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter V: 一言既出，驷马难追 (A word spoken can never be taken back)

New Years, also known as the Spring Festival, was one of the most important celebrations for the people of Teikou Empire. It was a long celebration that traditionally ran from the evening of the last day of the year to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the New Year.

All buildings in the Crimson Forbidden City needed to be thoroughly cleansed, sweeping away ill-fortune to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors were decorated with ruby, paper-cut couplets in hopes to bring good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity.

And with its soon arrival, the Empire was hectic in preparation.

Shota Higuchi had inspected everything on his list and checked it once more. The New Year was a chaotic season and to miss even one slight detail would be problematic. To add to his anxiety, Emperor Seijuurou had summoned him.

Finally he arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, giving a respectful greeting once he entered the room.

"Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty."

Emperor Seijuurou looked at him from behind his desk. "Since this is the first year for the concubines in the palace, Tetsuya wants their families to be allowed to enter the palace for the New Year celebration."

Shota blinked. Usually only the biological mothers of the concubines were allowed to enter the palace during the birth of a prince or princess.

"On the seventh day of spring festival, they are allowed in the palace. They can enter when the gate is opened and must leave when the gate is closed," Emperor Seijuurou ordered.

"Servant understands, Your Imperial Majesty," Shota replied. Inwardly, he was busy thinking about transportation issues for family who lived outside Rakuzan. Though, it was no wonder that Emperor Seijuurou agreed to such request if Empress Tetsuya had asked.

As the absolute ruler of Teikou Empire, Emperor Seijuurou had many concubines, easily the most beautiful women in the empire. People would think that Emperor Seijuurou's love would be divided after being targeted by the affections of many, and yet Empress Tetsuya's position was clearly on another level.

Shota would hardly be surprised if Emperor Seijuurou's only concern for the concubines was for the sake of his future heir.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A dinner was held on New Year's Eve, during which all members of the imperial family gathered for celebration. It was an extravagant feast, with pork, chicken, leek which was an auspicious symbol for wealth, and seafood like lobster and abalone; there were mandarin oranges, sweets, and, of course, the traditional New Year glutinous rice cake.

After dinner, Tetsuya returned to his palace, and he was not alone. Seijuurou was there with him.

It was their own tradition they started years ago, spending New Years together. Seijuurou ordered that they were not disturbed during the holiday, and with Tetsuya's favour of inviting the concubine's family to the palace, the concubines would be focused on their families, and Seijuurou and Tetsuya would be able to spend New Year's in peace.

As soon as the door closed, Seijuurou was upon him, arms impatiently tugging against his waist and lips greedily kissing his neck.

"You smell so nice," Seijuurou's husky breath sent a shiver down pale skin.

Tetsuya craned his neck to the side, much to the pleasure of his lover.

Seijuurou was quick to move, accompanying lonely lips that were now heated in lust. They kissed, with Tetsuya's arms desperately clinging onto crimson locks and Seijuurou supporting trembling knees with strong arms hugged tightly around a slim waist.

A hungry moan escaped from Tetsuya's lips, "Seijuurou..."

Clothes were easily stripped until Tetsuya stood naked before his husband. The burning furnace wasn't enough to combat the cool air, to which Tetsuya suffered a tingling shiver.

Seijuurou raised an eyebrow, "Cold?"

Tetsuya nodded.

Seijuurou smirked. "Do not worry, Tetsuya. I'll warm you soon."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The first day of the New Year celebration officially began at midnight. It was a practice to light fireworks, burn bamboo sticks, and set firecrackers ablaze.

Seijuurou was already awake when Tetsuya awoke from his slumber.

"Happy New Year, Tetsuya," Seijuurou gave a kiss to Tetsuya's forehead.

"Happy New Year, Seijuurou," Tetsuya returned a peck to Seijuurou's cheek.

"We have to get ready."

"We need to go to bathroom first."

Even though it was midnight, their bodies were sticky from their fun they had a few hours ago, thus they had to clean themselves. As an Empress, Tetsuya's palace certainly was very luxurious. All of his possessions were the best that money could afford. His bathroom was no exception; it resembled more like hot springs.

After taking a bath, Seijuurou and Tetsuya went out to light the first firecrackers. They then went to the Temple of Heaven to pray for peace and prosperity throughout the land. Returning from the temple, Seijuurou had to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to hold a First Stroke ceremony at the Eastern Warmth Chamber to write auspicious phrases of blessing for the New Year.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Three weeks later:

Furihata Kouka thought that she would never see her family again. She almost didn't believe it when she was told that her parents and her younger brother were on their way to see her. She was told that Empress Tetsuya invited all the concubine's families into Crimson Forbidden City to celebrate the New Year.

Empress Tetsuya was truly generous, and Kouka was very grateful. To see her parents step into the palace, she was very happy. Kouka hoped that next year her parents would still be allowed into the palace.

A week after the Lantern Festival, preparation for Empress Tetsuya's birthday celebration started. Initially, Kouka was confused to see so many horse carriages coming in the palace with gifts. All the carriages went towards the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Empress Tetsuya's residence.

"Look," said Sakurai Ryuna, "All of the carriages have a name on it. That one has the Minister of Personnel's name, Takao Kazunari."

Kouka had noticed it too. Nearby, she saw Aota, the eunuch who had escorted her into the palace.

"Eunuch Aota," Kouka greeted.

"Greetings to First Class Female Attendant Ryuna, greetings to First Class Female Attendant Chihiro, greetings to Second Class Female Attendant Kouka," Eunuch Aota paid his respect to them.

"Why there are many carriage bearing gifts, Eunuch Aota?" Ryuna asked curiously.

"Servant answers Attendant Ryuna. All these horse-drawn carriage are carrying a birthday gift for the Imperial Empress."

"Birthday gifts?"

"Imperial Empress is going to celebrate his birthday on the last day of the first month," explained Aota. "All the officials and governors of the 23 provinces of Teikou Empire always send a gift for Imperial Empress. The name on the carriage is the name of the gift giver."

Kouka nodded. Since it was the birthday of the Empress that would explain why there were so many gifts.

"Thank you for the information," said Kouka.

"I shall take my leave," said Aota.

Kouka, Ryuna, and Chihiro stared at the rows of the carriages. Out of curiosity, they chose to watch the procession first rather than going to the park. In accordance with the words of Eunuch Aota, all carriages present had a name engraved.

"That is a gift from Midorima Shintarou, Minister of Revenue," said Ryuna. "And that comes from Murasakibara Atsushi, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry."

Surprisingly enough, the gifts from the two ministers were plants that Kouka had never seen before.

"Chihiro, that is a gift from your father," pointed Ryuna.

That was true. A carriage bearing the name of Mayuzumi Ishida went past them; Kouka remembered Chihiro's father position was quite high in the government.

More carriages passed. There was a carriage from Minister of Justice, Kiyoshi Teppei, Minister of Works Hanamiya Makoto, and then there was carriage from Minister of Defense Haizaki Shougo.

"Stop!"

They all turned to see Haizaki Shiina. But this time, Haizaki's attention was fixed on the carriage carrying the gift from her father. She too was curious and immediately opened the gift box without asking permission from the guards who guarded it. Haizaki stared at the contents of the box with envy before closing the box and walking away.

"What is wrong with her?" Ryuna muttered.

"She looked like she was jealous," Chihiro replied.

"Weird."

Kouka thought Shiina was getting jealous seeing all those gifts. But she was secretly relieved.

Since Haizaki's punishment, she never tried to mess with them again, though she did send fuming gazes instead. Moriyama Tomomi also finished her punishment, but because she was incarcerated during the New Year holiday, she was the only concubine not visited by her family. She did not appear to like that at all.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A few days later:

Haizaki Shiina was very upset. The cause was a letter from her father.

From three days ago, birthday gifts for Empress Tetsuya were delivered to the palace. Of course, as a minister, Shiina's father also sent a gift of gold jewellery and rare gems that were simply breath-taking. When Shiina saw the gifts, she became jealous. She quickly sent a letter to her father, asking for the same jewellery.

When the reply came from her father, along with a box of beautifully carved wood, Shiina was very pleased. Once she opened the box, she was deeply disappointed to find jewellery, while beautiful, that was not as beautiful as the ones presented to Empress Tetsuya. Why did this happen? It was clear that she requested the same jewellery.

Shiina read the letter impatiently. In his letter, Haizaki Shougo explained that he could not give the same jewellery as it was inappropriate for a concubine to have the same things as the Empress, the principal wife of the Emperor. Did that mean that Shiina could only have goods of lesser quality? Her father attempted to pacify her by talking about other items he would send instead, but Shiina did not want to know. She was so angry that she threw the letter into the coal furnace, and it bursted into flames.

Not a moment later, Fukuda Hiroko and Tomomi Moriyama came to visit. With Tomomi finally free of confinement, she spoke non-stop. At least Hiroko was silent, drinking her tea calmly.

"Today more gifts for Empress Tetsuya were delivered. There were a dozen horse-drawn carriages this time," said Tomomi. "There are even gifts from other countries, neighbouring countries or countries that recognize the leadership of the Great Teikou Empire."

Hearing that, Shiina snapped. "Can you keep quiet? You speak nonstop!"

Tomomi gasped in surprise.

"Are you going to be mute if you stop talking for five minutes?" Shiina went on. "Because of your mouth, I was also punished by Empress Tetsuya. You're useless!"

"Noble Lady Shiina, have you seen a good dog?" Hiroko suddenly spoke, causing Shiina and Tomomi to look at her. "A dog that bites but doesn't bark."

Shiina smirked. "You're right," she said, looking at Tomomi meaningfully.

Tomomi looked at Hiroko with hatred, but she didn't dare to say anything.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tetsuya's birthday finally arrived. In previous years, Tetsuya's birthday was celebrated on a grand scale. While not too happy, Seijuurou always insisted, so Tetsuya relented. Moreover, this celebration was an opportunity for to reunite with his dear friends.

Tetsuya's best friends were once his classmates. There was school in the imperial palace reserved for the sons of the Emperor. However, due to the late Emperor Masaomi only having one son, important officials who had a son the same age as Seijuurou were ordered to enter their children into the school.

The chosen children were all smart and adept at martial arts. There were Aomine Daiki, Kise Ryouta, Midorima Shintaro, Murasakibara Atsushi, and Kagami Taiga. Secretly, Princess Satsuki also studied there even though a princess was not required to learn so much.

After his parents died, Tetsuya was raised by his grandfather. As a physician who was considered the best in the history of Teikou Empire, Kuroko Takumi was commanded to become the head of the royal physician. However, Takumi refused because if he lived in the palace, he could not help people in need.

Instead, he reached a compromise. Every year, in spring and autumn, Takumi would stay at the Crimson Forbidden City to serve as the court physician. In addition, he would also open a clinic in Rakuzan. However, during the summer and winter, Takumi would return to Kunmo, capital of the Seirin province, home of Kuroko family.

Because Tetsuya could only depended on his grandfather, Takumi certainly could not leave little Tetsuya behind, so his grandfather was forced to bring him to the palace. The late Emperor Masaomi, was kind enough to permit Tetsuya to study at imperial school.

There, his closest friends were Aomine Daiki and Kagami Taiga, followed by Princess Satsuki and Kise Ryouta. Seijuurou was closer to Midorima Shintarou and Murasakibara Atsushi. Besides them, Tetsuya also had a childhood friend who was also a student of the late Kuroko Takumi. Ogiwara Shigehiro lived in Kunmo and was currently a physician. Unfortunately, Ogiwara couldn't come to the capital this year.

"Your Highness, are you ready?" Riko asked from the outside, breaking Tetsuya from his reverie.

Generally, the personal maid assisted in wearing clothes, taking bath, and so on. But Tetsuya would not let himself assisted by Riko, except from when he needed help with his headdress.

"I'm ready," Tetsuya said, already in his formal dress, and walked out of his room.

Unexpectedly, Seijuurou was waiting for him.

"Riko, why did you not announce that His Imperial Majesty is here?" Tetsuya asked. In public, they always acted formal.

Riko opened her mouth to answer, but Seijuurou was faster.

"I forbid her, Tetsuya," said Seijuurou.

"Your Imperial Majesty has made me shocked," said Tetsuya.

"It's your birthday. Of course there should be a surprise, Tetsuya." Seijuurou smiled. "Now, let's go."

They entered the courtyard of the palace and seated themselves in a horse-drawn carriage, where they would then be taken to Prospect Hill.

Prospect Hill was a beautiful landscape garden, covering an area of 230,000 square meters. Clearly the highest point in the city, visitors were able to find a clear view of the Crimson Forbidden City at mid summit.

In the grand presence of the Crimson Forbidden City, Tetsuya's birthday celebration was held.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At Prospect Hill:

"This place is really beautiful," murmured Sakurai Ryuna in amazement.

Furihata Kouka nodded in agreement.

"I heard that this park has the biggest peony garden in Teikou Empire," Chihiro informed them. "With 20,000 peonies of some 200 varieties, the park displays a wonderful colorful scene in spring when the flowers are in full bloom."

"Wow. I hope we are allowed to see it."

On this day, all the concubines were ordered to wear formal clothes and arrive at Prospect Hill for the afternoon celebration of Empress Tetsuya's birthday. Since their status forbid them from leaving unless given permission from Emperor Seijuurou, and thus, today was the first time they set foot outside the palace walls.

When they arrived, a giant bonfire had been lit to combat the cool air and to provide warmth. Hundreds of hanging lanterns had been lit, and imperial red banners of Teikou also hung as decorations.

Two wooden stages had been built. The first stage was for entertainment and was placed in front of the other platform, which was shaded underneath trees and served as the seats for Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya. Surrounding the Imperial family's platform, there were elongated tables to the left and right of Emperor Seijuurou, seats for key officials and other important people to the Emperor. The concubines were seated at separate tables behind the Emperor and Empress.

The birthday celebration was not considered an official event, and with the Emperor and Empress who have not yet arrived, the atmosphere was fairly relaxed.

"What will they be showing?" Ryuna asked curiously.

"Opera, dancing, and more singing," Chihiro replied. She sounded bored, though Kouka found them all fun. "At least there are fireworks."

During the Winter Solstice, Emperor's Birthday and New Year's celebration, dancing and music were the tantamount entertainment agenda.

"Look!" Ryuna exclaimed suddenly. "That is General Aomine Daiki! Princess Satsuki is also here with him!"

They all turned.

General Aomine Daiki was a tall man with dark tanned skin. He had short, dark navy hair with a stern face that could easily frighten grown men. Beside him was his wife, Princess Satsuki, Emperor Seijuurou's half sibling. She was absolutely stunning.

"He comes alone," commented Ryuna.

"What do you mean?" Kouka asked, confused. General Aomine had been accompanied with Princess.

"She is referring to the rumor about General Aomine's sworn brother," Chihiro answered. "But we have never seen that person."

"Not only that," continued Ryuna, "I've even heard that his sworn brother is also the sworn brother of Admiral Kagami Taiga."

To symbolize their close love and friendship, two or more men would swear their loyalty to each other despite being unrelated by blood.

Kouka's eyes widened. "How come?"

"Initially the three of them were good friends. When General Aomine decided to enter into brotherhood, Admiral Kagami also joined as well. I've heard that since Admiral Kagami and General Aomine were rivals, that was the reason he joined. But I've also heard they entered brotherhood to make that person become their little brother," said Ryuna. "These were all rumours that I heard from my brother."

Then came a purple-haired man, which had her almost gaping at the sheer height of the man; even General Aomine was shorter by at least 5 inches.

"That's Murasakibara Atsushi," This time it was Chihiro who spoke. "He is the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry."

Of course, Kouka nearly forgot that Chihiro's father was a Senior Vice Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

After Minister Murasakibara, a handsome blond man, a green haired man with a firm expression, and a red haired with forked eyebrows came. The last man had a fierce expression on his face.

"That is Admiral Kagami Taiga," whispered Ryuna.

"And the other two are Kise Ryouta, Vice Minister of Defense and Midorima Shintarou, Minister of Revenue," Chihiro added.

Kouka could not comment because at that moment, Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya arrived.

After greetings and a few words from the Emperor and Empress, the celebration finally started.

And while Chihiro's prediction of the dancing and singing came true, it was different from what Kouka had expected.

The first was Bamboo Pole Dance, a team activity that could be regarded both as a sport and a dance. The preparation was simple-only 10 bamboo poles were needed.

Two 5 meter long poles were set on the ground and were considered the 'pillow' poles. They formed the sides of the dancing area, around 3.5 meters apart. The other 8 poles were thinner, shorter, and were laid across the 'pillow' poles, creating four parallel rows similar to a window frame. The ends of the poles were held by eight team members facing each other in pairs. With the accompaniment of music, the poles would open and close rhythmically.

Dancers jumped and hopped between the poles while singing and performing various mimes such as knife grinding, sieving grain, and even capering. Those who failed to keep up with the rhythm would be nipped between the poles and would be politely expelled from the dance. The dancing continued until one remained, who would then be lifted and seated upon the bamboo poles, much to the jubilation of the onlookers.

The next was fire dancing. Male acrobats would dance, jump, and even somersault on the stage while holding a lit torch. There were several more performances, and everyone enjoyed it, especially Kouka.

The peak of the celebration was releasing sky lanterns.

A sky lantern was a small hot air balloon made of rice paper, stretched over a thin frame. An opening at the bottom would suspend a small candle, which would cause the lantern to be carried away by the hot air.

Eight hundred and eighty-eight sky lanterns were prepared. The first two were released by Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya before the other lanterns followed, decorating the now dark sky like graceful fireflies.

And everyone who looked at Empress Tetsuya, who was usually expressionless, could tell that he was very happy.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Although a grand event was planned for his birthday, Tetsuya was eagerly waiting for the after gathering, where he would reunite with his old friends.

Occasionally, Seijuurou would let him roam outside when the palace life became dull and monotonous. But it was very rare for the eight of them to see each other, talking and laughing with no need for formal respect. So many years had passed since they could behave freely, just like the old times.

After the celebration on Prospect Hill, they returned to Crimson Forbidden City and entered the Palace.

Tetsuya savored each glance as he looked at his friends one by one. Midorima was playing shogi against Seijuurou, frowning as he thought in concentration. On an adjacent chair, Murasakibara was busy eating while Aomine, Satsuki, Kise, and Kagami chose to sit with him.

"Eat this," Satsuki added a piece of cake to Tetsuya's plate. "You have to eat more. You're too thin."

"She's right," Kise said, adding another slice.

"This is too much," Tetsuya protested. The food on his plate was already mounting. How could he eat all of it?

A sigh escaped, but the room was a bit too quiet for the eight of them, so Tetsuya looked up to find Kise elbowing Aomine while Satsuki glared at the two of them. Kagami looked at the three awkwardly as if he'd rather be far from them as possible. What was wrong with them?

"Tetsu, are you alright?" Aomine finally spoke.

"I'm fine." Where did that come from?

"I mean ..." Aomine scratched his head as he thought. "I mean… you're fine even though... there are... uh..."

"What is wrong?" Tetsuya was more confused. It was not like Aomine to hesitate, so why was he acting so strange?

Satsuki and Kise were also deeply staring at Aomine; it seems they appointed Aomine to speak, which he most likely was forced to accept.

Aomine glared at both of them in annoyance before sighing and finally said, "I mean, there are new concubines in the palace. Doesn't that bother you, Tetsu?"

"Of course not," Tetsuya replied quickly.

"Good," Aomine was visibly relieved. "Listen Tetsu, if any of them try anything, you have to tell me."

"What would you do?"

"I will destroy their families," The comment was stated as simple as if talking about the weather. "See if they dare to do anything after that. And do not think that they'll be safe inside the palace."

Satsuki and Kise nodded approvingly.

"You were too kind Tetsu," continued Aomine again. "I was going to kill the Oda family, but you defended them, and you see what happen? She tried to curse you!"

"There is no such thing as black magic," Tetsuya adamantly stated once more. It was surprising that someone like Aomine, who was an expert martial artist and ferocious in battle, feared the supernatural. "Besides, you should not go around abusing your position."

Aomine snorted. "Satsuki knows the secret and weak points of everyone. I will use it to destroy them."

Satsuki nodded eagerly. "Yes, Tetsuya. You don't need to worry."

Then, Kise gave a side glance towards Seijuurou. "What about Akashicchi?"

Tetsuya raised his eyebrows. This conversation was getting weirder.

"We've all heard that Seijuurou have a favorite concubine," Satsuki gave a somewhat nervous smile. "Sakurai Ryuna, Sakurai Ryou sister. So... uh… how is Seijuurou treating you now?"

Tetsuya blinked. He didn't think that his friends would be so worried about him, but it made him happy to know they cared deeply.

"You do not need to worry," said Tetsuya eventually. Because he was the youngest, he was treated like a child, or more precisely, like the youngest brother who must always be pampered, protected, and cared for.

"Are you really alright?" Kagami spoke for the first time.

"I'm fine," Tetsuya insisted. "Seijuurou is very kind to me, so there is no need to worry."

"Of course he has to treat you nicely," Kise muttered.

Aomine, Satsuki, and Kagami nodded vehemently in agreement.

Tetsuya sighed.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Finally, they all went home," Three hours had passed, and now, Seijuurou was in Tetsuya's palace.

Tetsuya looked at his husband. "Thank you for inviting them all."

Seijuurou smiled and kissed him. "I want you to be happy, Tetsuya."

"I am happy," Tetsuya assured him. "But Seijuurou is also happy to see our friends."

"I won't deny that," Seijuurou mused. "Although, I saw that Daiki, Satsuki, Ryouta, and Taiga monopolized your attention earlier."

"They're just worried about me," Tetsuya protested.

"They do not need to worry," All hints of amusement left, and Seijuurou became serious. "Everything I do is for you, Tetsuya. I will give you this world."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next morning Aida Riko was setting the table in the dining room when Emperor Seijuurou stepped inside. He was alone given that Empress Tetsuya did not usually get up this early.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Riko curtsied.

Emperor Seijuurou looked at her. "Did you do as I told you?"

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," Riko answered. Although she was a maid of Empress Tetsuya, Riko could never disobey the Emperor, especially when it was for Empress Tetsuya's own good and future. "Servant has put the medicine into concubines' drinks every time they come except that person."

Emperor Seijuurou inclined his head slightly. "What about Tetsuya?"

"Imperial Empress does not know about this."

"Do not let Tetsuya know," Emperor Seijuurou commanded.

"Servant understands, Your Imperial Majesty."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile in Mayuzumi Chihiro's residence:

Chihiro stared incredulously at Sakurai Ryuna. "You're going into palace garden this early in the morning? Why?"

Ryuna smiled brightly. "Looking for fish," she replied bluntly. "Come on. Come with me there."

Chihiro could only sigh. "Alright."

After all, Chihiro didn't have anything to do. Life in the Imperial Palace was very boring. In each pavilion, there was nothing to do but read, embroider, and sew. Compared to other pavilions, they at least had the luxury to walk in the palace garden.

There wasn't even any entertainment, which was held only during grand celebrations. And even then, there were only dance or music performances with the occasional fireworks. The only different performance was at Empress Tetsuya's birthday celebration last night; Emperor Seijuurou indulged the Empress very much.

To further her boredom, Chihiro's status as a concubine prevented her from setting foot outside the palace without permission from the Emperor. It seemed that there was no escape from this golden cage, but fortunately, she had Ryuna and Kouka as her friends.

"Let's go," Ryuna said.

Despite it being mid February, snow fell freely from the sky and covered a thin coat on the floor. Ryuna spoke passionately as they walked while Chihiro quietly listened. Their personal maids followed them faithfully from behind.

"I'll feed fish today," muttered Ryuna.

Chihiro raised an eyebrow. "You want to feed the fish with what?" As far as she saw, Ryuna came with empty hands.

"With fish meal," Ryuna replied before realizing, "Eh? I left the fish feed in my pavilion!"

Chihiro shook her head. Her friend was truly forgetful. "Let's go back to pick it up."

"No," said Ryuna. "You wait here. I'll go back to take it."

Ryuna and her personal maid rushed off in a hurry.

"Mistress," Nene, her personal maid, pointed towards a gazebo in the middle of the park. "We can sit over there while we wait for First Class Female Attendant, Ryuna."

"Alright."

In the gazebo, there were a table and four chairs. Chihiro sat in one of the seats with Nene standing beside her. But after twenty minutes had passed, it turned out to be very tedious wait.

Chihiro stood up.

"Mistress?" Nene asked.

"I want to see the fish pond first. You wait here. I don't want Ryuna looking for us later."

"But-" Nene hesitated. Would she let her master go alone?

"I will go there first."

"Servant understands, Mistress."

Chihiro followed the existing footpath, and after a few turns, she arrived at the fish pond.

Despite its name, the fish pond was actually more like a small lake, with a dock that was built up to mid pond.

Chihiro walked to the end of the pier and crouched down, intending to check whether or not the koi were still active despite the coldness. She did not get a chance to check because a moment later, someone pushed her, _hard_.

The immediate contact with the frigid water caused her to go into shock for a moment. But once she broke her daze, her clothing had become heavy and slowly dragged her to the bottom as the waters sapped her energy. She had sunk a few feet, and yet not even her soles had touched the bottom.

"Help!" Chihiro shouted frantically. She could not swim. "Help!"

She choked. Flailing her arms and legs in attempts to rise to the surface proved to be useless, and her lungs began to burn.

Her movements slowed down. Her arms felt heavy. Her sight blurred. Despite the searing pain, she continued to fight.

There was a weak voice that called in the distance, and it took a whole moment for Chihiro to recognize her own weak voice, pleading desperately in the shivering waters. She became limp. Then, the darkness had won and enveloped her.

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone!

Thank you for reading and please review.

In this story, Momoi Satsuki is Akashi Seijuurou's half sibling so her name will be Akashi Satsuki. To avoid confusion, their friends call Seijuurou with Akashi and Satsuki with her first name. I know that I focus more on the concubines but it's palace drama main focus. And since I made Tetsuya as Akashi's beloved empress, he's safe. It will be different if I made him as low status concubine fighting for Akashi's love.

Prospect Hill or Jingshan Park is a public park covering 23 hectares immediately north of the Forbidden City in Imperial City, Beijing, China. The focal point is the artificial hill Jingshan, literally "Prospect Hill". Formerly a private imperial garden attached to the grounds of the Forbidden City, the grounds were opened to the public in 1928.

The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a medieval complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, predates Taoism.

I've been to both places when I visited China.


	6. Part I: Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basketball and Legend of Zhen Huan. I do not make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains spoilers for both Kuroko no Basketball and Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. There are quotes from manga, anime, Wikipedia and other sources. **Please read the author's** **note for explanation about the setting, place etc.**

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter VI: 种瓜得瓜, 种豆得豆 - As a man sows, so shall he reap

At Palace of Earthly Tranquillity:

When Tetsuya woke up the next morning, the spot next to him on the bed was empty. It was not surprising, because Seijuurou was an early riser. Although the coal furnace heated the room, the air still felt cold so Tetsuya burrowed deeper inside his blanket. It was very comfortable. He almost fell asleep again when a familiar voice addressed him.

"You still don't want to wake up?"

Tetsuya opened his eyes slowly and found Seijuurou standing in the doorway with his hands folded across his chest. It looked like he just returned from outside because he was dressed formally.

"I'm still sleepy," he said as he looked at his husband walking towards him. "Besides, this is Seijuurou's fault for keeping me awake all night."

Seijuurou raised an eyebrow. "My fault?"

"Yes," Tetsuya agreed. "It's your fault."

"As I recall, you did not ask me to stop last night," Seijuurou said smoothly as he sat on the bed next to Tetsuya. "In fact, you asked for an encore," the Emperor replied non-committally, the corners of his mouth deepening into a smirk.

"Seijuurou!"

The redhead merely chuckled.

Tetsuya frowned before he put his arms around Seijuurou's neck and pulled him close so their faces almost touched. Seijuurou closed the distance between them with a long kiss. The need for oxygen eventually forced them apart. Tetsuya leaned against his husband. One of Seijuurou's hands caressed his back while the other hand crept down to squeeze his buttocks.

Tetsuya moaned.

Seijuurou pushed Tetsuya's body down on the bed. His intention was obvious.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They were late for breakfast. Could it be called breakfast anymore? It seemed that lunch was more fitting. Tetsuya glanced at his husband. It was Seijuurou's fault again this time. His husband could deny it as much as he wanted, but the fact remained that it was always Seijuurou's fault. When they arrived in the dining room, the meal was already prepared on the table. Tetsuya could see plate after plate of delicious and expensive food.

Tetsuya sighed inwardly. The first time he lived in the palace, he was amazed at the amount of food served each day. It was obvious that no one could eat all of it so the rest was thrown away. And what a waste it was. After he became Empress, Tetsuya reduced the amount of food consumed in the palace. However, for Seijuurou, he could not do anything.

"What is it, Tetsuya?"

"There is too much food," he complained.

"You have to eat more."

"I never eat much," he defended himself. Seijuurou and the rest of his friends always thought that he didn't eat enough, which was ridiculous. The amount of food he ate every day was perfectly normal. It was Aomine and Kagami who ate like monsters.

"I do not accept rejection," Seijuurou stated.

So, Tetsuya was forced to eat more than his usual portion.

Seijuurou stared at him with a face full of satisfaction once he finished his bowl of rice.

Annoyed, Tetsuya stared back at his husband though his expression remained flat as usual.

The staring contest ended when Riko entered the dining room. "Greetings to His Imperial Majesty. Greetings to the Imperial Empress."

"What is it, Riko?" Tetsuya asked. Riko looked a little anxious, different from usual. Did something happen?

"Your servant answers His Highness. First Class Female Attendant Chihiro has fallen into the pond in palace garden."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Pavillion of Joy:

Furihata Kouka was embroidering when Sakurai Ryuna's personal maid showed up. Surprisingly, Anko was alone, without her mistress. And what was Anko doing this early in the morning?

"Greetings to Second Class Female Attendant Kouka," Anko paid her respects. "I was sent here to inform you that First Class Female Attendant Chihiro fell into the pool in the garden."

"What?" Kouka was shocked. "How could that happen?"

"I do not know," Anko replied. "Attendant Chihiro is being treated by a physician at her residence now. Attendant Ryuna is already there. Attendant Ryuna sent me to ask Attendant Kouka to go there. "

Kouka nodded.

"I shall take my leave then."

After putting on her coat, Kouka and her maid rushed to Chihiro's pavilion. All the way, she hoped that Chihiro was alright.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Kouka arrived at Chihiro's residence, Sakurai Ryuna was already there.

"Kouka!" She exclaimed.

"Is Chihiro alright?" she hurriedly asked.

"I do not know," replied Ryuna. She looked half worried to death. "The physician is still inside, checking on her."

"Don't worry. Chihiro will be alright," said Kouka with the intention of calming Ryuna.

"This is all my fault!" Ryuna said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Kouka was confused. Why would Ryuna blame herself?

"I was the one who asked her to accompany me to the palace garden this morning! I was going to feed the fish. But I forgot to bring the fish food and returned to pick it up. I left Chihiro alone. This is my fault! If I didn't ask her to join me in the garden she would be fine!" Ryuna started crying.

"Shh... It's okay..." she tried to comfort Ryuna. "This is not your fault."

But instead Ryuna cried even louder. Kouka tried her best to calm her down.

Suddenly an eunuch announced, "His Imperial Majesty is coming! The Imperial Empress is coming! "

Shocked, Ryuna finally stopped crying. She quickly wiped tears on her face with her handkerchief. It was fortunate that when Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya walked in, Ryuna's face was already free from tear tracks.

"Greetings to His Imperial Majesty. Greetings to the Imperial Empress." Kouka and Ryuna knelt to pay their respects.

Since the day when she was sent home from Emperor Seijuurou's palace, Kouka was never in the same room with Emperor Seijuurou so she was very nervous and scared. Although Emperor Seijuurou was very handsome, he was too intimidating and imposing. As a way out she finally diverted her gaze to Empress Tetsuya. The Empress wore a blue kimono as usual. On his head was a beautiful headpiece decked in blue and pink jewels and pearls.

"Greetings to His Imperial Majesty. Greetings to the Imperial Empress." The physician who treated Chihiro hurriedly went out to pay his respects.

"How is Chihiro?" Emperor Seijuurou asked.

"Your servant replies His Imperial Majesty. First Class Female Attendant Chihiro isn't injured. She only needs to rest for a week, and eat nutritious foods and supplements. She was fortunate to be quickly rescued. The longer she stayed in the water, the bigger the chances that she would drown."

"Drown?" Ryuna whispered.

"The pool at imperial palace garden looks shallow. But in the middle of the pond, the depth is about three meters. People who can't swim will surely drown," the physician explained.

Ryuna face went ashen when she heard it. She almost lost her best friend.

Kouka was also shocked to hear that. She did not think that the pool was that deep. She also forgot that none of them could swim.

"I have given her medication to ward off the cold in her bones. She is sleeping now."

Emperor Seijuurou nodded.

"Thank you for your help, Toyama," Empress Tetsuya said. "I am very relieved to hear that Attendant Chihiro is alright."

"This is my duty, Your Highness," the physician, Toyama, replied. He seemed very respectful towards Empress Tetsuya. Perhaps because the late Kuroko Takumi was a legendary physician in the great Teikou Empire.

"I'll leave it to you."

"Your servant understands, Your Imperial Majesty." Toyama nodded. "Your servant will not disappoint His Imperial Majesty."

Emperor Seijuurou turned his attention back to Kouka and Ryuna. "How could Chihiro fall into the pool?" He asked coldly.

Ryuna and Kouka exchanged glances.

"We... We do not know, Your Imperial Majesty. Attendant Chihiro was alone at that time," Ryuna answered timidly. She had never heard that cold tone before and was starting to get scared. "And... And she also sent her personal maid away."

There was a pause before the Emperor Seijuurou stood. "I shall ask her after she wakes up."

"We understand, Your Imperial Majesty," said Ryuna and Kouka in unison.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Palace of Earthly Tranquility:

After visiting the still unconscious Mayuzumi Chihiro, Seijuurou and Tetsuya returned to Tetsuya's place. Seijuurou was angered by the accident. Well, truthfully it wasn't an accident but rather was an assassination attempt on Mayuzumi. The atmosphere was heavy but Tetsuya did not say anything. He would wait until Seijuurou's anger subsided first.

Tetsuya remembered when Riko came to inform them about the accident.

 _"Your servant answers His High_ n _e_ s _s._ _First Class Female Attendant Chihiro has fallen into the pool in the garden of the palace. "_

 _"How could it happen?"_ _He asked in surprise._

 _"Someone pushed Attendant Chihiro,"_ _said Riko._ _"But our people were watching Att_ e _ndant Chihiro so she quickly got help."_

 _"Who did it?"_ _This time it was Seijuurou who ask_ ed _._

 _Riko mentioned a name._

 _Seijuurou's face_ _darkened._ _"That person is looking for d_ e _ath,"_ _he said with a voice as cold as ice._

 _"Thank you, Riko. Keep_ _an eye on them," Tetsuya ordered. He almost couldn't believe that someone would go as far as this. Heads would roll when Seijuurou was done with them._

 _"Your servant understands, Your Highness._ _I shall take my leave then, Your Imperial Majesty, Imperial Empress."_

"The day after tomorrow I'll call everyone to come together," Seijuurou suddenly said, pulling Tetsuya out of his thoughts.

Tetsuya remembered that tomorrow was an important day so he and Seijuurou had to go to the Temple of Heaven to pray. After that there was a celebration again so they didn't have time to visit Mayuzumi.

"I wish to see if she is going to try to deny her actions," Seijuurou continued.

"There are witnesses who saw it."

"That's because you ordered your people to watch them." Seijuurou suddenly smirked. "But my Tetsuya is indeed very sly," he said with an affectionate smile. "You employed people from your hometown, people who are indebted to your late grandfather, either directly or indirectly so you don't have to worry about their loyalty."

Tetsuya looked at his husband. "I employ them, not because I want something in return," he said, though he couldn't deny Seijuurou's words.

"Indeed not," Seijuurou agreed. "But that's why they are very loyal to you. They know that you are a good master. Besides, you're very good at assessing others' abilities and personalities. Does Seirin's current governor, Hyuuga Junpei, not owe his position to you?" He asked slyly.

"Hyuuga Junpei is a very capable governor."

"You're right. But if you did not find him, he would remain as a lowly official for the rest of his life. And Junpei is aware of it. No wonder the vanilla supply here never runs out. "

Tetsuya frowned at his husband. "Seijuurou," he pouted. Why does his husband always tease him?

"Alright, alright..." Seijuurou then changed the subject. "What would you think is the fitting punishment for the culprit?"

Tetsuya was stunned for a moment before answering. "I hope that you execute them."

"Well, well, well..." Seijuurou raised his eyebrows. "The compassionate Tetsuya is hoping for the death penalty. What in the world is going on?"

"That's because I know that you will torture them mercilessly," said Tetsuya frankly. With execution, their death would be painless, in contrast to the punishment of torture - and Teikou Empire had hundreds of such punishments, many of which were very cruel and horrible. He also knew that Seijuurou was merciless.

"You really know me." Seijuurous's voice was as cool as ever. "But you're right. Anyone involved will regret ever being born. "

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The second day of the second lunar month was the Festival of Dragon Raising Its Head. The festival happened to be on the Day of Vernal Equinox, a time in folk culture when the dragon raised its head and became active after being dormant the whole winter. Traditionally, dragon was believed to be in charge of bringing rains, which was an important factor in agricultural society. The festival was an important worship ritual of wishing for a good harvest in the coming months

While the rest of the palace celebrated the festival, Kouka and Ryuna did not enjoy such happiness. They were very worried about Chihiro's state. Early in the morning, they arrived at Chihiro's place. Nene, Chihiro personal maid, greeted them both.

"Attendant Chihiro is awake," Nene told them, beaming. The girl was very relieved and happy that her mistress was fine.

"Really?" Ryuna asked in disbelief.

Nene nodded.

Kouka let out a relieved breath.

Ryuna was so happy that she immediately rushed inside.

Kouka shook her head at Ryuna's antics. But inwardly, she was very relieved. "Is Chihiro really alright?"

"Yes, Attendant Kouka," Nene answered.

Ryuna was already sitting on the bed when Kouka, followed by Nene, entered the bedroom. Chihiro was already seated and leaning on the bed. She had a fur blanket to keep her warm. She looked healthy even though her face was still a little pale.

"Thank Heaven you're okay," said Kouka. "We are very worried yesterday."

"Yes. I could not sleep all night, "added Ryuna.

"I'm fine." Chihiro smiled.

"His Imperial Majesty and the Imperial Empress came to see you yesterday but you were asleep," said Ryuna.

"Nene told me about it," said Chihiro.

"Yesterday afternoon, a messenger from the Empress came here and gave some items such as the blanket used by Attendant Chihiro now and also ginseng for supplement," said Nene.

At that moment, Kouka and Ryuna noticed the blanket. Ryuna stroked the fur. "It's so smooth! And so warm," she said in wonder. "The Imperial Empress is very kind to give you such an expensive gift."

"But how did you fall? Was it because of the slippery pier?" Kouka asked curiously.

Chihiro was silent.

Kouka suddenly started feeling unwell.

"I did not fall," said Chihiro finally. "Someone pushed me."

"What?" exclaimed Ryuna, shocked.

"Someone pushed you?" Kouka asked, looking at Chihiro with worry.

Chihiro nodded. "I crouched down to see the fish. Suddenly, someone pushed me from behind."

"You have to report this to His Imperial Majesty then!" Ryuna declared.

Chihiro sighed. "It isn't that easy."

"Are you really sure about this?" Kouka asked after careful consideration.

"What do you mean? Chihiro isn't lying!" Disbelief and incredulity showed in both Ryuna's voice and face as she spoke to both of them.

"That's not what I mean..." Kouka knew that it was impossible for Chihiro to lie. But they had to be careful and consider every angle.

"You mean proof, right? I have no proof that someone pushed me."

"Chihiro almost drowned! What kind of proof do you need?" Ryuna snapped.

Kouka felt the beginnings of a severe headache forming behind her eyes.

"No witness," said Chihiro.

"What is the matter with you two?" Ryuna demanded in frustration. "What is it with witness and evidence? Chihiro said that she was pushed into the pond. She almost died! What kind of evidence do you need?" She asked harshly.

Unfortunately it wasn't as simple as Ryuna said. Kouka suddenly remembered something. "Ah! Who helped you? "

"I haven't heard the whole story yet. Nene, why don't you tell me," Chihiro ordered her personal maid.

"At that time Attendant Chihiro sent her servant to wait in the gazebo. Suddenly I heard cries for help. I immediately ran to Attendant Chihiro and saw Noble Lady Misaki screaming for help. "

The three of them looked at each other in confusion.

"Do you mean Hanamiya Misaki?" Chihiro asked. "She was in the garden?"

"Yes. She was accompanied by her personal maid. Because of her cries for help, there was an eunuch who jumped into the pond to save you, Mistress. It also attracted a lot of attention. After that, Mistress was brought back to this place. "

"Could it be that she pushed you?" Ryuna asked.

"Your servant does not think so, Attendant Ryuna." Nene answered. "They were too far away from the pond."

"Do you know the eunuch who helped me?" Chihiro asked.

"No. But I remember his face."

"That eunuch and Hanamiya might have seen something," Ryuna commented.

"It could be," Kouka agreed even though she was still in doubt. In the palace, they had to be very careful. One wrong step and they could lose their heads. She never thought that life in the imperial court would be a battlefield. She also didn't think that someone would go as far trying to kill Chihiro. Why go to this length only for Emperor's favour?

"So, what are we going to do?" Ryuna asked. "His Imperial Majesty said he's going to ask you later about this incident."

"Let me think about it," said Chihiro finally.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next day, Sakurai Ryuna paced in her bedroom. She was confused and annoyed. The reason was none other than because her best friend since childhood, Chihiro, still wanted to think about it before reporting to Emperor Seijuurou. After thinking all night, Ryuna was certain that the culprit who pushed Chihiro was Haizaki Shiina. Yes, she must be the culprit. Who else if not Haizaki? From the beginning, Haizaki always hated them. Starting from slandering Ryuna in front of Empress Tetsuya, to insulting Kouka and now trying to kill Chihiro. It was unforgivable. Ryuna never did anything to her. Why did Haizaki hate them so much? If Chihiro didn't report that she was pushed to Emperor Seijuurou, then Ryuna would do it. She had had enough with Haizaki.

Ryuna still busy cursing Haizaki inwardly when someone knocked at her door. "Mistress! A messenger from His Imperial Majesty is here!" Anko, her personal maid, called her.

Shocked, Ryuna hastily opened her door and rushed into the living room.

"Greetings to First Class Female Attendant Ryuna," the eunuch greeted her. "His Imperial Majesty has ordered all concubines to gather at Palace of Earthly Tranquility this morning."

"I understand," said Ryuna.

"I shall take my leave then."

Ryuna nodded.

"Mistress, why do you think all the concubines are called to the Imperial Empress's palace?" Anko inquired after the messenger left.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. But this was a perfect opportunity for Ryuna. She had to tell Emperor Seijuurou the truth.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When Ryuna arrived at Palace of Earthly Tranquility, all the other concubines were already there. Ryuna hurriedly joined Kouka and Chihiro.

"His Imperial Majesty is coming! The Imperial Empress is coming!"

Shortly after, Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya walked in. They all knelt. "Greetings to His Imperial Majesty. Greetings to the Imperial Empress."

After Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya sat on the throne then the concubines stood up and then sat in their seats.

"I call you all today to discuss Chihiro's incident," Emperor Seijuurou start to speak.

The concubines looked at each other.

Ryuna stared at Haizaki in disgust. How could Haizaki show her face here without any guilt at all was beyond her.

"Chihiro, how did you fall into the pool?"

This was the question eagerly awaited by Ryuna.

"I-"

"Someone pushed Attendant Chihiro," Ryuna interrupted.

Chihiro and the other concubines stared at her with surprise. Nobody noticed that Emperor Seijuurou wasn't surprised at all.

"Is what Ryuna said just now true, Chihiro?" Emperor Seijuurou asked.

Chihiro could only nod.

Ryuna glanced at Haizaki. The girl also looked shocked.

"But I don't know who did it." Chihiro admitted.

The culprit must be Haizaki or her servant! Ryuna screamed inwardly.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Hanamiya Misaki suddenly interrupted.

"What is it Misaki?"

"I happened to be out in the garden when it happened. And I saw the person who pushed Attendant Chihiro into the pond. The culprit is Attendant Tomomi's eunuch."

Eh? Ryuna was surprised to hear that. The culprit was Moriyama's eunuch? She really did not think that Moriyama was the culprit. At first she was very confident that it was Haizaki. Moreover, Moriyama was always hanging out with Haizaki. She must be under Haizaki's control. But... A few months ago Moriyama was punished by Empress Tetsuya. Was it because of that incident?

Moriyama's face paled. "What do you mean?" she demanded. She tried to look angry but her voice shook slightly.

"I only report what I saw, Your Imperial Majesty," said Hanamiya smoothly.

"This... Is a lie..." Moriyama tried to defend herself. "You have all conspired to ruin me." She glanced at Haizaki and also Fukuda for help, but they were both silent, not willing to open their mouths to defend Moriyama. "I am innocent, Your Imperial Majesty. I-"

"You dare lie in front of me," Emperor Seijuurou said sharply. His handsome face was frozen in cold fury.

Moriyama gasped in surprise. Seeing Emperor Seijuurou's anger, her whole body trembled in fear.

Nobody dared to speak. The atmosphere was heavy and tense.

The silence was broken when eunuch Reo, the chief eunuch of Emperor Seijuurou walked in, followed by guards. They brought two eunuchs, one of them bound in chains.

Moriyama gasped. Her frame wilted and she almost collapsed when she saw the newcomer eunuch. Her face was as white as cotton.

"Greetings to His Imperial Majesty. Greetings to the Imperial Empress. Your Imperial Majesty, I have brought the perpetrators of attempted murder of First Female Attendant Chihiro," said eunuch Reo.

"Your Imperial Majesty, he's the one who pushed Attendant Chihiro," Hanamiya pointed at the eunuch who was tied.

"Greetings to His Imperial Majesty. Greetings to the Imperial Empress," the other eunuch said. "Your servant works in the imperial garden. Two days ago, in the morning, I was on duty when I saw this person pushing First Female Attendant Chihiro into the pond. I immediately dove into the pool to help Attendant Chihiro."

"Is that true?"

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," said Misaki.

Nene, Chihiro's personal maid, also agreed. "Your Imperial Majesty, he's the one who helped Attendant Chihiro."

"Why did you do it?"

"I was ordered by Attendant Tomomi," Moriyama's eunuch answered with his face down. "I beg forgiveness, Your Imperial Majesty."

Moriyama was with trembling with fear. "I don't know who he is. I have no idea who he is."

Because Moriyama tried to deny her involvement, the eunuch became upset. He didn't want to take the fall by himself. "Attendant Tomomi, I only did as you ordered."

Realizing that she couldn't escape, Moriyama started sobbing on the floor. "I beg forgiveness, Your Imperial Majesty. I beg for mercy, Your Imperial Majesty."

"Did you do it by yourself? Or did someone ordered you to do it?"

Moriyama shook her head. "No one ordered me," she said brokenly. "Please, Your Imperial Majesty. I beg for mercy..."

Liar! Ryuna thought inwardly. It couldn't be! Haizaki must be the one who ordered Moriyama. Why Moriyama insist on covering for Haizaki? She was about to protest when someone grabbed her right hand.

Ryuna turned and saw Chihiro.

Chihiro shook her head slightly, warning her.

Defeated, Ryuna could only keep silent. She had no evidence. And if she accused Haizaki, she couldn't bear the consequences if the tables were to turn on her.

Emperor Seijuurou glanced at the eunuch."The punishment for Tomomi's eunuch is beheading," he commanded.

The eunuch was taken out. Along the way, he screamed and begged for mercy until his voice was not heard anymore.

"As for Tomomi, a meter of red."

Moriyama looked puzzled to hear the sentence imposed on her. She was not the only one. The other concubines also looked confused.

"What is a meter of red?" Ryuna whispered to Chihiro.

Chihiro just shook her head. She never heard of this punishment before.

Eunuch Reo eventually explained. "A metre of red is a form of punishment in the palace. A wooden rod of 5 feet 2 inches will be used to beat the lower body, until the flesh and tendon splits and beaten into mincemeat and the bone breaks. From afar the scene looks like a beautiful scene of red, that's why it is named "a metre of red."

Moriyama fainted after hearing it. The guards finally carried her away, presumably to the department of punishment.

Ryuna felt nauseous. Her face was pale. She did not know that such a cruel punishment existed in the palace.

Other concubines also had horrified looks on their faces.

"Let this be a reminder for all of you," Emperor Seijuurou said, looking at them one by one. "I will not forgive anyone who tries to do anything."

"We obey the commands of His Imperial Majesty."

Emperor Seijuurou stood from the throne. "I have to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation now," he told Empress Tetsuya. His eyes softened this time.

Empress Tetsuya nodded. He hasn't spoken at all.

All concubines knelt to pay respects to Emperor Seijuurou as he exited the hall.

Empress Tetsuya was left alone. He looked at the concubines and sighed. "You are all concubines of His Imperial Majesty, your positions and your obligations are the same. There is no need for envy and hatred. I hope you reflect on the day's events well. You all may go home now. "

"The wives obey the command of His Highness the Empress."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Jade Pavilion:

"I did not think that Noble Lady Misaki will help Mayuzumi Chihiro, Sakurai Ryuna and Furihata Kouka," Kawahara Sayuri commented.

Upon their return from Empress Tetsuya's palace, they went straight to the Jade Pavilion, Misaki Hanamiya's residence. The maids had prepared snacks and hot tea for them.

"I did not help them," Misaki replied. "I helped myself."

"Ah," Sayuri nodded knowingly. "When two tigers are fighting, other animal has to save itself."

Misaki just smiled a little to hear it. She did not even bother correcting Sayuri's words. Two tigers? More like two diseased cats... In the imperial palace, Emperor Seijuurou's concubines were divided into three camps. Haizaki's camp, Mayuzumi's camp and Misaki's own camp. The feud between Haizaki and Mayuzumi was started by Haizaki because she was jealous that Emperor Seijuurou paid more attention to Sakurai. Hence, Haizaki always tried to discredit Sakurai and eventually her hatred spread to Furihata and also Mayuzumi.

The highlight of their dispute was when Moriyama Tomomi's eunuch pushed Mayuzumi to the pool. And it happened when Misaki and her maid were at the garden and witnessed the assassination attempt. Misaki could stay silent and not do anything and let Mayuzumi drown. But if that happened, Haizaki would gain the upper hand and Sakurai would be helpless.

She then chose to help Mayuzumi. Not only that, but she also ensured that Moriyama Tomomi was punished by Emperor Seijuurou. In this way, Mayuzumi would take revenge and it was impossible for Haizaki not to fight back. They would destroy each other while Misaki would sit back in the background and enjoy the show. Without Misaki having to do anything, Mayuzumi or Haizaki would be destroyed. After that, Misaki could start plotting to finish the remaining camp.

And then, the ultimate goal of course for Misaki was, of course, Kuroko Tetsuya. Misaki could not do anything right now. Empress Tetsuya's position was too strong since Emperor Seijuurou favoured him too much. But good things came to those who waited and Misaki could wait. She would wait for the perfect time to get rid of Kuroko Tetsuya.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Palace of Earthly Tranquillity:

"Tomomi has been punished," Seijuurou told him that night. "She is crippled now thus she will move to the Cold palace."

'A meter of red' wasn't designed to kill. No. The punishment was designed to torture. The victim would feel unimaginable pain but they wouldn't die. They would become crippled and lived the rest of their life in waste, that was, if they didn't kill themselves. That's why Tetsuya hated that kind of punishment. He knew that Seijuurou would keep Moriyama alive. As an example for what exactly happened to people who messed around. And personally, it was because Moriyama almost ruined their plan.

Seijuurou sat down next to him and took Tetsuya's hand gently in both of his. "If it weren't for me, you would become a greater physician than your grandfather ever was."

"Seijuurou..."

His husband let go of one hand and trailed it down his kimono. The female kimono that had become his daily clothes now. "But you chose me."

Tetsuya placed his hand on Seijuurou's cheek and looked him fondly in the eye, blue into red and gold. He shook his head. "I chose you," he murmured. "It's my choice. It has always been my choice. And I never regret anything."

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading and please review.

Now on the punishment part, there are many cruel punishments back there during Qing dynasty. For example, death by a thousand cuts is literally death by cutting the flesh of a man's body.


	7. Part I: Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basket and Legend of Zhen Huan. I don't make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains spoiler for both Kuroko no Basket and Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. There are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. **Please read the author's note for explanation about the setting, place, history etc.**

This story isn't betaed yet. You have been warned. If there's any of you who can help me edit this chapter, please tell me. Thank you.

 **In the Court of the Crimson King**

Chapter VII: 女人心是海底针 - A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

A week had passed since Mayuzumi Chihiro fell into the pond. Thanks to the physician, she was alright now. To celebrate the happy news, Sakurai Ryuna and Furihata Kouka already arrived since morning at her residence.

"I do not think that His Imperial Majesty would impose such a terrifying punishment," Kouka said with a shudder of horror. "I think Moriyama will be sentenced to death by beheading."

"I think so too," said Ryuna. "When I heard the meaning of a meter of red, I thought I was going to pass out. It's better to die than to suffer like that. "

"That's what the punishment is," said Chihiro.

"What do you mean?"

"The punishment is meant to frighten people so that no one else would dare to commit a mistake."

At first, Chihiro also did not think that emperor Seijuurou would be that merciless to his own concubines. But after further thinking, she was certain that emperor Seijuurou had many wives simply because he had to have successor. They were nothing more than a means to an end. Therefore, he had no sentimental attachment to his own concubines. Of course, she did not dare tell anyone about this.

Life in the forbidden palace was really not a glamorous life as it seemed. Literally any mistakes could cost not just their own life but also the people they love. As for their status, history had proven that at one moment a concubine could be so loved, the next she was no better than dirt.

Ryuna nodded. "It's a pity Moriyama did not rat Haizaki out," she complained bitterly. "I know that Haizaki sent Moriyama to push you."

"We can't accuse her without a proof," Chihiro warned.

Ryuna snorted. "I hate her! It's better if she die."

"Shh!" Kouka hissed, "don't talk like that." She looked right and left, as if someone was eavesdropping.

"Since when you act like Chihiro?"

Kouka pursed her lips defensively. "Walls have ears. Our position is below Haizaki's position. Her father position is also higher than my father or your brother."

Chihiro understood why Ryuna hated Chihiro so much. But somehow she was certain that Haizaki was not involved. Chihiro watched her and Haizaki was genuinely surprised that Moriyama was the culprit. But Ryuna couldn't be dissuaded. Ever since she was a child, if Ryuna already believed in something, it was almost impossible to change her mind.

"Eunuch Reo arrived!" the eunuch who guarded the door shouted.

Chihiro, Ryuna Kouka looked at each other. What was eunuch Reo doing here?

Eunuch Reo stepped inside. "Greetings to First Class Female Attendant Ryuna, greetings to First Class Female Attendant Chihiro and greetings to Second Class Female Attendant Ryuna. Servant brings edict from His Imperial Majesty."

Chihiro, Ryuna and Kouka knelt on the floor.

"Edict from His Imperial Majesty. Due to the kindness of Imperial Empress, Mayuzumi Chihiro is bestowed with the rank of Noble Lady."

"Thank you for the kindness and the generosity of His Imperial Majesty," they replied in unison and bowed until their forehead touched the floor to give respect. "Thank you for the kindness and generosity of the Imperial Empress."

"Please." Eunuch Reo gave the tray containing the edict and the seal of Noble Lady to Chihiro.

She accepted the tray.

"Allow servant to congratulate Noble Lady Chihiro."

"Thank you, eunuch Reo," said Chihiro, mind swirling from the sudden promotion.

"I shall take my leave then."

Chihiro could only nod.

Once eunuch Reo disappeared from their view, Ryuna immediately opened her mouth and shouted excitedly. "You are bestowed Noble Lady rank! Very good! Now your position is equivalent to Haizaki and Hanamiya!"

"But why this happen suddenly?" Kouka asked, confused.

"The important thing is the position! Why we should worry about it?" Ryuna argued.

"But it's weird."

"I wish my position is also raised..." Ryuna started to daydream.

Chihiro just stayed quiet. She was busy thinking. Kouka was right. Emperor Seijuurou had no reason to raise her position. The only thing that could be used as a reason was an accident that befell her. Was this some sort of compensation or consolation from emperor Seijuurou? Or was this the desire of empress Tetsuya? But one thing for sure was with this edict she would have more enemies at inner palace. Moriyama had tried to kill her in the past. Who knew what else would happen in the future? She just wanted a quiet life in the palace but instead she was dragged into rivalry and intrigue. She sighed forlornly. Why was her life so complicated now?

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Palace of Earthly Tranquility:

"Greetings to Imperial Empress."

Tetsuya raised his head from the paper he was reviewing. "Come in," he ordered.

The door opened and Aida Riko stepped in, followed by two maids, each carrying a tray of drinks and fruits.

"Servant brings drinks and snacks for Imperial Empress," said Riko.

Two maids had put vanilla milk jugs, ceramic cups and a plate of fruit on the table before leaving the room.

"Thank you, Riko," said Tetsuya. Except vanilla milk, he didn't really like eating sweets. Perhaps the effect of his grandfather who raised him so Tetsuya prefer to eat healthy foods like fruit for a snack.

"Take a rest first, Imperial Empress," Riko advised.

Tetsuya smiled. Although Riko right now was his head of maid, she was actually a childhood friend of Tetsuya. They used to be a neighbour and her father worked in Tetsuya's grandfather clinic. Until now, Aida Kagetora still worked there. When he married Seijuurou, Riko chose to go with him to the palace.

Tetsuya finally rose from his seat and moved to sofa. From where he sat, he could see the garden outside from opened window. Riko swiftly poured vanilla milk into cup and served it to Tetsuya.

"Thank you, Riko," he said. He lifted the cup and drank it slowly. Hmm...It was very delicious.

Riko waited until Tetsuya finished his drink, put the cup back in the table, and then she spoke. "Your Highness, in accordance with your wishes, His Imperial Majesty has raised Attendant Chihiro's rank to Noble Lady. The news has spread to the rest of the imperial court. "

"How is the situation now?"

"Everything is safe, Imperial Empress. It seems that they chose to lay low for now." Riko paused. "Moriyama Tomomi has attempted suicide in the Cold Palace rather than living with disabilities. She refused to take any medicine or food. But His Imperial Majesty said he would kill all her family so Moriyama did not dare to do anything."

Tetsuya was silent. He had predicted that this would happen. And for the moment, he couldn't do anything yet. He could not rush in making decisions.

"Does Imperial Empress intend to take action?"

"Currently we can't do anything."

"Servant understands, Your Highness."

"Could you bring the financial report on my desk to me?"

Riko did as instructed by Tetsuya. "Please, Imperial Empress."

As an empress, Tetsuya was in charge of the imperial palace. The financial report book was kept by Tetsuya. He was the one who determined the amount of eunuch and servant's salary, up to a monthly allowance of emperor's concubine. All expenditures in the palace ranging from the smallest to the biggest had to get his permission.

"These figures do not match," said Tetsuya. "I never give so much monthly allowance to any concubines."

Each concubine earned monthly allowance in accordance to their positions. The allowance could be used for anything, from paying their maids to buying whatever they want. However, because the concubines were not allowed to go out of the palace, purchase of goods had to be done thorough Palace Household Bureau so Tetsuya knew exactly about the spending habit of the concubines.

"Maybe the money came from her father," guessed Riko.

"And the salary of a minister will not be enough for all of this," he sighed. It seemed that his and Seijuurou's suspicion was correct. But who would not be suspicious when Haizaki Shougo's lifestyle and family was too luxurious for someone in his position.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At the Hall of Mental Cultivation:

In Teikou Empire, the highest power was in the hands of the emperor. All of his orders were absolute and must be executed. Denying emperor's edict meant death sentence. Below the emperor, there was Chancellor who was tasked with providing input and suggestions. That position was held by Nijimura Shuuzou in Akashi Seijuurou's reign. In addition there were six ministries. There was also military force that was divided into army and navy.

Emperor Seijuurou received reports from each ministry every day. In addition, every week all the ministers and the deputy had to gather in palace to report their performance. Like today, for example. Nijimura Shuuzou was the first to arrive. He took a seat in the front right end which was closest to emperor Seijuurou. Shuuzou was a few years older than emperor Seijuurou. In fact, they were cousin for the late Empress Dowager Akashi Shiori was born as Nijimura Shiori.

After Shuuzou, the next one to arrive was Midorima Shintarou, which wasn't surprising at all. The man was always a stickler to the rules. One by one, the officials started to arrive. The last one to arrive was Murasakibara Atsushi.

Finally all officials were present.

"His Imperial Majesty arrived!" the eunuch who guarded the door shouted.

Akashi Seijuurou stepped inside. Shuuzou must admit that his cousin was born to rule. Seijuurous' charisma, aura and prestige were unmatched by anyone. He was also very talented, both in terms of knowledge and martial arts. Even Aomine Daiki had never beaten Seijuurou in a martial arts competition. As if that was not enough, Seijuurou also possessed a very handsome face. Seijuurou did have everything.

"Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty!"

"Have a seat."

The first one who gave report was Midorima Shintarou, Minister of Finance and Seijuurou's closest friend.

"Report from Finance Ministry, Your Imperial Majesty. Teikou Empire recorded a surplus in the first month. Total spending reached 1 million silver coins, while total revenue reached 2 million silver coins. Overall, the amount in treasury reached to 61 million silver coins which were driven by changes in tax policy."

Seijuurou nodded in satisfaction.

One by one, the minister reported their works. It could not be denied that Seijuurou was a very capable emperor. He did inherit a strong and prosperous empire, but under his rule in just three years the empire thrived. He punished corrupt officials, revised law and built infrastructure. But the most important thing was tax reform which had succesfully increased revenue. Shuuzou was very confident that Seijuurou would lead Teikou Empire to new era of glory and prosperity.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

In the evening at Palace of Earthly Tranquility:

"His Imperial Majesty arrived!"

Seijuurou stepped inside.

"Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty," said Tetsuya.

Seijuurou held out his hand and Tetsuya welcomed it. Together, they walked into the dining room. A variety of meal had been prepared at the dinner table.

"You all may leave, I'll serve His Imperial Majesty," Tetsuya commanded.

"Servant obeys the command of Imperial Empress." All the maids left the dining room.

"How was your day?" Seijuurou asked once they were seated.

"As usual," said Tetsuya. "What about Seijuurou?"

"All the ministers reported a good thing. But I must admit that they are competent in their respective fields." Seijuurou paused. "Even though there are among those who engage in corruption."

"Then will you do nothing?"

"Of course not. I'm just waiting for the right moment to finish them."

"I suspect that Seijuurou will begin with Haizaki Shougo."

Seijuurou smirked. "You truly know me."

"His lifestyle is too flashy. Many people in the court talk about him. Many do not like him. Sooner or later he will fall." Tetsuya paused. "Haizaki is very much different from Hanamiya Makoto. Hanamiya is polite and well-spoken that so many people are fooled. A wolf in sheep's clothing is the most appropriate proverb to describe Hanamiya."

Seijuurou looked amused. "You're seldom interested in this topic."

"I never like it," said Tetsuya frankly. For power and wealth, people were willing to do anything including twisting the facts, slandering innocent people and eliminating their conscience. No friends and foe, everything could change in the blink of an eye.

"Well, shall we eat now?" Seijuurou asked. "We can save the talk for another time."

Tetsuya nodded in agreement.

In silence, they began to eat.

"You have to eat more, dear," his spouse commented when he saw Tetsuya's small portions.

"Please don't start again," he retorted irritably.

"How much did you drink vanilla milk today?"

"Vanilla milk has nothing to do with my appetite. I always eat like this."

"Maybe I should not allow the delivery of vanilla into the palace."

"If Seijuurou did that, I would ban tofu menu inside the palace." Tetsuya responded. Although he was an emperor, Seijuurou's favourite food was surprisingly simple. Seijuurou could eat tofu soup for days without being bored.

Seijuurou chuckled. "You never change." He took Tetsuya right hand, brought it to his lips and kissed the back of his hand gently.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Prospect Hill Park:

The end of spring was marked with the blooming peony. Currently Sakurai Ryuna, Mayuzumi Chihiro and Furihata Kouka were in the middle of Prospect Hill park to enjoy the view of the peony flowers. Empress Tetsuya was kind enough to allow all the emperor's concubines to get out of the palace during the day. This was a rare opportunity not to be wasted.

"It's really beautiful," Kouka murmured in awe.

The whole park was filled with tens of thousands of peonies that bloom simultaneously with different colours. It was truly beautiful to the eye.

The three of them sat in one of the gazebos in the park. Haizaki Shiina, Fukuda Hiroko, Hanamiya Misaki and Kawahara Sayuri were somewhere in another part of the garden. After Moriyama's punishment, it was really calm for weeks. Fukuda and Haizaki were polite every time they met, especially now that Haizaki and Chihiro were on the same rank. If Ryuna's position was also raised, Haizaki certainly would not dare bothering her again. But how? She was busy thinking. It seemed that there was only one way.

"I must have children," she said suddenly.

Kouka spluttered.

Chihiro looked at her quizzically. "Why did you suddenly say that?"

Sometimes Ryuna felt annoyed at Kouka and Chihiro because they were not interested in emperor Seijuurou. Kouka feared the emperor but Chihiro wasn't interested at all about life in the palace.

"If I had a child, His Imperial Majesty would raise my rank. No one would dare to bother me again."

Kouka and Chihiro looked at each other.

"Ryuna ..." Chihiro began, momentarily bewildered.

Ryuna pressed her lips together. "Is not the child is the only hope in the palace? The etiquette teacher said so. Especially if I had a boy..."

Ryuna was aware that she was not as smart as Chihiro, but she knew that nothing was eternal in the palace. Crimson Forbidden City was the capital of woman. The most beautiful women in Teikou Empire gathered there. But even the most beautiful woman would inevitably grow old. Time was the unbeatable enemy. Smooth skin would get wrinkle with age.

Selection for emperor's concubines was held every three years. This meant that every three years there would be new rival, beautiful young women who had only one goal. Whilst emperor Seijuurou still visited her the most, Ryuna should take advantage of thechance. If she had children, her position would have been ensured.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Moon Pavilion:

After coming back from the park, Haizaki Shiina was enraged. "That useless Moriyama is dead!" she cursed. "And Mayuzumi is still smiling! She is also bestowed with Noble Lady rank because the Empress felt sorry for her. Her position is now the same with me! At this rate, she will trample my head later!"

"Please calm down, Noble Lady Shiina," pleaded Fukuda Hiroko.

"Calm down ?! How can I calm down?" Shiina growled, her patience beginning to wane. Lately, she was forced to treat the trio nicely. This was because Moriyama's failed try to kill Mayuzumi. Fortunately the incident didn't drag her because it was not her who sent Moriyama. "Whenever I remember the three of them ... Mayuzumi, Sakurai and Furihata ... I really want to kill them all."

There was a pause.

"Does Noble Lady Shiina wish to get rid of all three of them at once?" Hiroko asked, looking at her calculatingly.

"Of course!" Shiina replied firmly. She looked at Hiroko. At least Hiroko was smarter and was more useful. "Do you have idea?"

"I just heard them talking about a baby on the way home to the palace. Sakurai wants a son."

"What did you say?!" Shiina almost couldn't believe it. Sakurai who looked innocent and naive from outside turned out to be power hungry too. She truly couldn't judge a book by its cover.

Hiroko nodded. Her voice gained confidence as she went on."This gives us an excellent opportunity. I only ask that Noble Lady Shiina to be patient waiting for the right moment. And also..."

"And also what?"

"I need people who are willing to die."

A sly smile slowly broke across Shiina's face. "Then, I'll ask my father to arrange everything."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Pavilion of Joy:

End of spring meant moving from Crimson Forbidden City to Mountain Resort Chiba, the summer residence of the imperial family in Kaijou province. All concubines were very pleased with the opportunity go get out of the palace, including Furihata Kouka.

"What else should I bring?" Kouka stared at her trunks. "I hope this is enough."

"Everything is available there, Attendant Kouka," Mao, her personal servant said reassuringly. "You don't need to worry about it."

"Have you been there?" Kouka asked curiously.

Mao nodded. "Mountain Resort Chiba is very beautiful. The place is divided into four main areas, namely palace area where we will stay, lake area, grass area and mountain area."

Kouka was amazed to hear it.

"We can move around in palace area and lake area freely but we need permit to enter grass area and mountain area because we can get lost without guide."

Kouka couldn't wait to leave tomorrow.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Trip to Mountain Resort Chiba took several days by boat and horse-drawn carriage. There were thousands of people who participated in this yearly trip. For Tetsuya, this was his umpteenth trip.

"Are you alright, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya turned to look at his spouse. He was enjoying the view at the right and left of the river. Vast stretches of green paddy field and mountains in the distance. The sun began to sink in the horizon, creating beautiful array of colours.

"I'm fine," he said.

"You're seasick in the past," teased Seijuurou.

"It was only once and that was because I was unwell at the time." Tetsuya pouted. The incident happened during his first trip and Seijuurou was really worried at that time.

"You have poor stamina, dear," Seijuurou reminded him. "You should rest now."

Tetsuya waited until they were inside their cabin to talk. "I'm sure resting isn't what you have in his mind right now," he said frankly.

"Really?"

Seijuurou walked around Tetsuya and then hugged him from behind.

Tetsuya leaned on Seijuurou's body.

"You're right," whispered Seijuurou before he started kissing the neck Tetsuya. For a long time, he just kissed Tetsuya's neck. But the hot breath fanning Tetsuya's sensitive skin made him shiver. Receiving positive response, one of Seijuurou's hands crept inside the fold of Tetsuya yukata and began stroking his inner thighs.

Tetsuya moaned.

Quick as a flash, Seijuurou spun Tetsuya and then carried him to the bed.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At Mountain Resort Chiba:

After travelling for a few days, they finally arrived. Sakurai Ryuna looked around in awe. This place was amazing. Existing buildings didn't spoil the landscape, but instead complemented it.

"Welcome to Mountain Resort Chiba." An army of eunuchs was waiting, each served as guide for each concubine.

One young eunuch approached Ryuna. After introducing himself as eunuch Jun, they began to move. Just like Crimson Forbidden City, every concubine obtained place for them to live for the next three months. On the way, eunuch Jun explained about the places there.

"In the Palace area, there are four main palaces: Main Palace, East Palace which is the residence of His Imperial Majesty and Imperial Empress, Pine Crane Hall and Soughing Pine Valley."

Ryuna was surprised to hear that Emperor Seijuurou and Empress Tetsuya stayed in the same palace. But she did not dare to comment. After passing through the winding streets, they finally arrived in front of a magnificent pavilion.

"We have arrived, Attendant Ryuna," said eunuch Jun. "You are expected to come pay respect to Imperial Empress at beginning of each week at Pine Crane Hall."

Ryuna nodded.

"I shall take my leave then."

A young maid was already waiting. "Welcome to Rose Pavilion. I am Aki, a maid who serves in this pavilion. I will serve Attendant Ryuna during your stay here. I have prepared tea and snacks for Attendant Ryuna. You must be tired after a long journey."

Ryuna was quite happy to get a maid like her.

She then walked in. Rose Pavillion was even bigger compared to her residence in the palace with big windows so that fresh air could freely enter. There was also a back terrace with chairs, sofas and tables.

"Please, Attendant Ryuna."

Ryuna stared at purplish blue cake at the table in confusion. This was the first time she saw a strange-coloured cake like this. Was this safe to eat?

As if knowing Ryuna's hesitation, Aki then explained. "I made this cake with blueberries, Attendant Ryuna. Berries are very good for a woman's fertility."

Ryuna's eyes widened. "For fertility?" she questioned.

"I apologize, Attendant Ryuna. I don't mean anything by it." Aki looked worried that she had offended her mistress.

"No. I'm very pleased to hear this. Are there other foods that are good for fertility?" she asked excitedly.

"There are many, Attendant Ryuna, such as seaweed, salmon, green vegetables, oysters and nuts."

"Then, you have to cook those for me every day."

"I understand."

Ryuna was very happy. Among all concubines in the palace, emperor Seijuurou came to her place the most. The chance for her to get pregnant was obviously much bigger than the other concubines. Especially if she ate those foods every day.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Several days had passed. Ryuna, Chihiro and Kouka spent it exploring the park. Because Mountain Resort Chiba was very vast, every day they always visited new places. Today, for example, the three of them visited Lake Area. As the name implied, in Lake area there were eight artificial lakes. Currently they were in the gazebo on the shore of Lotus lake. The pink lotus was blooming. It was very beautiful.

"Do you want to eat lotus seeds?" Kouka asked.

"Sounds good," said Chihiro.

"I will get it for you, Attendant Kouka," Mao said. She then walked to the edge of the lake and chose some big lotus seeds.

"Thank you, Mao."

Eating lotus seed while sitting leisurely was great fun. Perhaps because they were not in the palace so the atmosphere was more relaxed. It was as if they were on holiday here.

"Do you know that Princess Satsuki is also here now?" Ryuna asked.

Kouka shook her head.

"She arrived yesterday with her children," said Chihiro. "The capital is very hot right now. Do not be surprised if we all stay here during the summer. Moreover, I heard the health of Imperial Empress is not so good. The empress can't stand the hot weather so we leave the capital by the end spring and will return by the early autumn. "

Kouka just nodded. Because she came from Seirin and her father was only a low official, she didn't know much about member of the imperial family.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next day, Sakurai Ryuna woke up with a stomach ache. Both Anko and Aki were very concerned for their mistress' wellbeing.

"I will call a physician," said Aki.

"Wait!" Ryuna suddenly called. She just remembered something.

"Yes, Attendant Ryuna?"

"Don't let Chihiro or Kouka know that I'm sick. I don't want to worry them," Ryuna hastened to say.

"Servant understands," said Aki and she hurried went away.

Ryuna sighed. She told Aki to keep it secret because she didn't want Chihiro to reprimand her. Kouka would wish for her to get well soon but Chihiro would lecture her nonstop.

"Attendant Ryuna, I have advised you not to eat too much sour berries. It is not good for your stomach," Anko complained. "You've been eating various kinds of berries every day."

"But Aki said that it is a way to increase fertility," Ryuna tried to defend herself.

"Everything good that excess will turn out to be bad."

Ryuna had to admit that she was wrong. She ate without regard to the rules in the hope to get pregnant as soon as possible. Could it be that easy? Perhaps she was too naive.

"Healer Yamada has come, Attendant Ryuna," Aki was back, followed by a middle-aged physician.

Upon examination, it was only a stomach ache due to eating too much fruits. The physician then advised her to eat regularly and also gave her medication and supplements. Ryuna was very relieved.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At the East Palace...

Tetsuya was talking with Satsuki, his close friend as well as sister-in-law when Aida Riko walked in.

"Greetings to Imperial Empress. Greetings to Princess."

"What is it Riko?" Tetsuya asked.

" Attendant Ryuna called for healer. The prescribed medication is stomach medicine," Riko reported.

Tetsuya and Satsuki exchanged glances.

"Who is her healer?"

"Healer Yamada, Your Highness."

"I've never heard about healer Yamada." His late grandfather was the Great Physician and had served in the palace so that Tetsuya knew all the physician in the palace. One could even say that they all were under his command.

"Healer Yamada is new. He also only works in Mountain Resort Chiba." Riko explained.

"Please investigate his background." Tetsuya said, his mind spinning.

"Servant obeys the command of Imperial Empress."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Later that night at the East Palace...

Akashi Seijuurou looked at his wife who was asleep on the couch with amusement. Tetsuya must have fallen asleep while waiting for him. There were a lot of documents that he needed his attention so it was late when he returned. He walked towards Tetsuya and picked him up.

"Hmmm ..." Tetsuya awakened and blinked his eyes groggily.

"You fell asleep. I'll take you to bed."

In response, Tetsuya buried his face in the curve of Seijuurou's neck.

Once they arrived, he carefully put Tetsuya in the bed and took off his yukata. His wife was already asleep again. Tetsuya looked so adorable when he was sleeping. Seijuurou smiled fondly and then leaned over to kiss Tetsuya's forehead. He then took off his clothes and joined his wife in bed, pulling the covers to cover their naked bodies together.

Time passed so fast. From two small children who did not know each other to friends and eventually lover. And now they were husband and wife. They had gone through so many obstacles before. Seijuurou was even forced to take a wife when he came of age although he was able to make Tetsuya his empress when he ascended the throne.

Unfortunately, as an emperor he had to have many concubines. He had to have a successor to the throne. The more concubines he got mean more children he could have. But, no matter how many concubines he had, for Seijuurou, he only had one lover and wife, Tetsuya. Seijuurou also knew that among his concubines, many had great ambition to replace Tetsuya. And of course, Seijuurou must protect his wife. He could not let anyone who had the potential to threaten Tetsuya's position to live.

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone!

The Mountain Resort of Chengde was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and took about 90 years (1703-1792) to construct. It covers an area of 564 sq meters (218 sq miles) and was originally built for the royal families to spend the hot summer months. The Mountain Resort of Chengde is divided into four parts: the Palace Area, Lake Area, Plain Area and Mountain Area.

Hanamiya Makoto here is inspired by Heshen. He was an official during Qianlong emperor's reign and was considered as the most corrupt official in China history.

The structure in the government is inspired by Three Departments and Six Ministries system. It was the main central administrative structure adopted in China during its imperial period. The Ministry of Personnel or Board of Civil Appointments, The Ministry of Revenue or Board of Revenue, The Ministry of Rites or Board of Rites (礼部; 禮部; Lĭ Bù), The Ministry of Defense or Board of War, The Ministry of Justice or Board of Punishments, The Ministry of Works or Board of Works (工部; Gōng Bù).

Thank you for reading and please review.


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